Scolopendra dehaani 'Black Flame'
Sold under its hobby name. This guide covers the group or trade name this fella is sold as, so the ranges fit the whole group. Start in the middle and watch how your animal settles in.
Vietnamese Black Flame Centipede: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A dark, smoky-bodied color form of the giant Vietnamese centipede, the same species group as the Cherry Red and Cherry Head forms, just darker. Adults run 6-7+ in. Medically significant bite, no handling.
Group: CentipedesDifficulty: Spice 5: ExtremeSetup: Tropical burrowing/fossorial terrestrialHandling: No handling, tongs and catch cup only
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 | 75-85°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 70-85%, cross-ventilated, dry refuge zone |
| Setup Type | Tropical burrowing/fossorial terrestrial |
| Substrate | Deep (6 in+) packed, moisture-retentive substrate |
| Feeding | Roaches/crickets under half body, weekly to biweekly |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 5: Extreme |
| Handling | No handling, tongs and catch cup only |
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
- Hatchlings: Baby Buddy, fine-mesh security.
- Juveniles: Burrow Buddy grow-out, deep substrate.
- Adults (6-7+ in): large custom terrestrial, generous floor footprint.
Warnings First
- Medically significant bite, same risk as other large Scolopendra.
- Fast and aggressive. Tool-only handling, always.
- If the head fits through a gap, the whole animal follows. Seal every seam.
- Sold as Black Flame: match the animal's actual coloring, the name is also used for a different species.
- Weak airflow at substrate level is what actually kills captive Scolopendra, more than temperature or humidity.
Simple Care
- Use deep, packed, moisture-retentive substrate.
- Vent low on two opposite walls for real cross airflow.
- Lock the lid securely.
- Keep a shallow water dish full, packed with pebbles.
- Handle transfers with tongs and a catch cup only.
- Give it a generous floor footprint, not just height.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Same husbandry as the other dehaani color forms. This is a color form, not a different care profile.
- Vent low on two opposite walls at substrate level. Lid-only venting leaves the burrow saturated and still, which starts mold, mites and stuck molts.
- Bond fine stainless mesh over every low vent, sized to the head. If the head passes, so does the centipede.
- Hold 70-85% with damp lower substrate and a water dish under good airflow, not by sealing the box.
- Mist under the hide, not the whole enclosure, so the rest of the box can dry and re-air.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Feed roaches or crickets no longer than half the body, every 4-7 days for juveniles and every 10-14 days for adults.
- Growth is comparable to the other large dehaani color forms.
- Pull uneaten prey within a day. Don't disturb a fresh molt.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Vietnam and neighboring Indochina.
- Habitat translation: Tropical forest-floor burrower, same profile as the other dehaani color forms.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Sold as Black Flame, a name also used generically for S. subspinipes. Match the animal's actual color, not just the label.
- Likely closely related to, possibly the same species as, the Cherry Head and Cherry Red dehaani forms Big Z's already carries.