In stock American Pinkfoot Millipede for sale All millipedes for sale
Narceus americanus
American Pinkfoot Millipede: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A hardy native millipede that likes moist leaf litter and deep edible substrate: adults reach about 4 inches. Gentle and slow, with a defensive fluid that stains skin, so wash hands after.
Group: MillipedesDifficulty: Spice 1: Kid FriendlySetup: Burrowing communal millipedeHandling: Brief contact tolerated, a fall can injure it
Use This Guide Safely
- Confirm the exact animal. Match this guide to the species, locality, size, and life stage on your label. If the ID is uncertain, use the more conservative part of the range and ask before changing the setup.
- Change one thing at a time. Treat temperature and humidity as target zones, then watch posture, burrowing, drinking, feeding, and molt behavior before making another adjustment.
- Respect the handling boundary. If the guide says no handling, fast, defensive, or medically significant, plan transfers with catch cups, locked lids, and no bare hands. For serious bites, stings, or symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
Quick Snapshot
| Temperature | 68-78°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 70-80%, cross vents, damp below, drier surface |
| Setup Type | Burrowing communal millipede |
| Substrate | Deep leaf/wood substrate |
| Feeding | Hardwood leaves, veggies, calcium |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 1: Kid Friendly |
| Handling | Brief contact tolerated, a fall can injure it |
Humidity zones: Very Low under 30% - Low 30-60% - Low-Moderate 40-70% - Moderate 60-80% - Moderate-High 70-85% - High 80%+ - Very High 90%+
Enclosure Format / Size Class
- Colony: terrestrial burrow setup, more room as the group grows.
Warnings First
- Avoid heat extremes; this species stresses in hot conditions.
- Do not let the substrate fully dry out.
- Keep the substrate edible. Fresh leaf litter is the real diet, not a treat.
- A still, damp bin turns sour instead of earthy. Vent low on two opposite walls.
- Juveniles drown in open water. Keep the dish shallow and packed with pebbles.
Simple Care
- Cooler room temps are fine.
- Vent low on two opposite walls so the substrate surface keeps exchanging air.
- Keep leaf litter available.
- Keep a shallow water dish packed with pebbles so juveniles cannot drown.
- Great beginner communal millipede.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Give it deep hardwood leaf and rotten wood; it spends lots of time buried.
- Keep a dry surface over moist lower layers, with a cork or half-log hide on top.
- Vent low on two opposite walls; a still, damp column turns sour and draws mites.
- Judge substrate by squeeze and smell: damp like a wrung-out sponge and earthy, not sour or ammonia.
- Mist under the leaf litter and hide, not across the open surface.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Supplement foods are treats; the real diet is substrate and leaf litter.
- Communal groups are usually fine with enough space and substrate depth.
- Molts happen underground for days or weeks. Never dig up a buried animal, and keep cuttlebone available for calcium.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Eastern North America deciduous forest leaf litter.
- Habitat translation: Deep hardwood leaf litter, rotting wood, and cool-to-moderate moisture.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Avoid hot tropical setups; this species stresses under excess heat.
- Keep the substrate layered: drier pockets on the surface, moist lower zones below.