Care guide
Indonesian Cherry Head Centipede
Scolopendra dehaani
A thick-bodied, deep red giant centipede: very likely the same species as Big Z's Malaysian Cherry Red Centipede under a different locality name (S. dehaani shows five documented color morphs across its range), not a distinct species. Adults run 6-8 inches and are among the heaviest-bodied Scolopendra in the trade.
Scolopendra dehaani
Indonesian Cherry Head Centipede: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A thick-bodied, deep red giant centipede: very likely the same species as Big Z's Malaysian Cherry Red Centipede under a different locality name (S. dehaani shows five documented color morphs across its range), not a distinct species. Adults run 6-8 inches and are among the heaviest-bodied Scolopendra in the trade.
Group: CentipedesDifficulty: Spice 5: Extreme (Medical Significance)Setup: Tropical burrowing/fossorial terrestrialHandling: NEVER
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 | Ambient 70-85%, cross-ventilated at substrate level; dry refuge zone |
| Setup Type | Tropical burrowing/fossorial terrestrial |
| Substrate | Deep (6 in+) packed, moisture-retentive |
| Feeding | Roaches/crickets, no longer than half the body |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 5: Extreme (Medical Significance) |
| Handling | NEVER |
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
- Baby Buddy for hatchlings
- Burrow Buddy grow-out
- Large custom terrestrial for adults
Warnings First
- DUPLICATE-SPECIES FLAG: very likely the same species (S. dehaani) as Big Z's existing Malaysian Cherry Red listing under a different supplier locality name: cross-check photos before treating as two unrelated animals
- Medically significant venom, same risk profile as other large Scolopendra
- Notably thick and heavy-bodied with a strong grip
- Fast and aggressive; tool-only handling always
- A heavy-bodied animal packs its burrow walls tighter, so the burrow itself breathes less than a slimmer species' would. Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls matters more here, not less.
Simple Care
- Deep packed substrate sized for a heavier-bodied animal.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls, at substrate level.
- Secure locking lid.
- Shallow water dish packed with pebbles so pedelings cannot drown.
- Tongs/cup only.
- Generous floor footprint.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Give this one a wider floor footprint than a slimmer subspinipes of the same length: dehaani runs noticeably thicker-bodied, and a narrow enclosure feels cramped sooner than the length alone suggests.
- Standard deep, moisture-retentive substrate with a drier refuge zone applies as with other giant Scolopendra.
- Cross ventilation at substrate level deserves extra attention on this species. A thick-bodied dehaani compacts the walls of its burrow as it moves through, which means less passive gas exchange down there than a slimmer centipede gets. Vents low on two opposite walls keep air moving horizontally through that layer instead of letting it sit saturated and still.
- Bond fine stainless mesh over the low vents and check every gap against the head, not the body. A thick centipede still has a narrow head, and the head is the part that decides whether it can leave.
- Ventilation and ambient humidity trade against one another. The way to keep 70 to 85% with real airflow is damp lower substrate plus a water dish feeding moisture upward, never sealing vents to trap it. A closed box reads well on a hygrometer and grows fungus on your centipede.
- Check moisture by feel: bottom third clumps and holds without weeping, middle stays cool and damp, top inch can look dry. That vertical gradient is the microclimate.
- Run a shallow water dish packed with pebbles or flat stones so the water sits below the rim. A heavy-bodied species drinks more than you would expect, the stones stop a small grow-out animal from drowning, and the dish feeds humidity in at floor level so you can keep the open substrate less wet.
- Mist under the cork rather than across the whole enclosure. The damp pocket under cover is where this animal rests, and keeping the rest drier lets the air actually move instead of sitting heavy.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Feeding: roaches or crickets no longer than half the body length, every 4-7 days for juveniles, every 10-14 days for adults. This species has a hearty appetite matching its bulk, but don't scale up prey size just because the body is thicker.
- Growth: comparable to other large dehaani/subspinipes-complex members.
- Maintenance: pull uneaten prey within a day; don't disturb a fresh molt.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Mainland and island Southeast Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia; this color form reported from Indonesian localities.
- Habitat translation: Same tropical leaf-litter/forest-floor burrower profile as other giant Scolopendra.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Worth an internal photo comparison against Malaysian Cherry Red before running these as two unrelated catalog entries: if visually indistinguishable, they may be one species with two supplier-sourced color variants.
- S. dehaani documented with five distinct natural color morphs across its range in a 2016 taxonomic paper, supporting the same-species hypothesis.
- Sources: the full Big Z APA 7 reference list lives at References.
Scolopendra dehaani
Indonesian Cherry Head Centipede
Big Z's Quick Verdict: A thick-bodied, deep red giant centipede: very likely the same species as Big Z's Malaysian Cherry Red Centipede under a different locality name (S. dehaani shows five documented color morphs across its range), not a distinct species. Adults run 6-8 inches and are among the heaviest-bodied Scolopendra in the trade.
Group: CentipedesDifficulty: Spice 5: Extreme (Medical Significance)Setup: Tropical burrowing/fossorial terrestrialHandling: NEVER
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 Care Snapshot
| Temp | 75-85°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | Ambient 70-85%, cross-ventilated at substrate level; dry refuge zone |
| Setup | Tropical burrowing/fossorial terrestrial |
| Substrate | Deep (6 in+) packed, moisture-retentive |
| Feeding | Roaches/crickets, no longer than half the body |
| Handling | NEVER |
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%+
Recommended Big Z's Setup
- Baby Buddy for hatchlings
- Burrow Buddy juvenile grow-out
- Larger custom terrestrial for adults: prioritize floor footprint generously given how thick-bodied this species is
Critical Notes
- DUPLICATE-SPECIES FLAG: very likely the same species (S. dehaani) as Big Z's existing Malaysian Cherry Red listing under a different supplier locality name: cross-check photos before treating as two unrelated animals
- Medically significant venom, same risk profile as other large Scolopendra
- Notably thick and heavy-bodied with a strong grip
- Fast and aggressive; tool-only handling always
- A heavy-bodied animal packs its burrow walls tighter, so the burrow itself breathes less than a slimmer species' would. Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls matters more here, not less.
Care Basics
- Deep packed substrate sized for a heavier-bodied animal.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls, at substrate level.
- Secure locking lid.
- Shallow water dish packed with pebbles so pedelings cannot drown.
- Tongs/cup only.
- Generous floor footprint.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Feeding: roaches or crickets no longer than half the body length, every 4-7 days for juveniles, every 10-14 days for adults. This species has a hearty appetite matching its bulk, but don't scale up prey size just because the body is thicker.
- Growth: comparable to other large dehaani/subspinipes-complex members.
- Maintenance: pull uneaten prey within a day; don't disturb a fresh molt.
Current Big Z's catalog: Yes
Scolopendra dehaani
Indonesian Cherry Head Centipede: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A thick-bodied, deep red giant centipede: very likely the same species as Big Z's Malaysian Cherry Red Centipede under a different locality name (S. dehaani shows five documented color morphs across its range), not a distinct species. Adults run 6-8 inches and are among the heaviest-bodied Scolopendra in the trade.
Group: CentipedesDifficulty: Spice 5: Extreme (Medical Significance)Setup: Tropical burrowing/fossorial terrestrialHandling: NEVER
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 | Ambient 70-85%, cross-ventilated at substrate level; dry refuge zone |
| Setup Type | Tropical burrowing/fossorial terrestrial |
| Substrate | Deep (6 in+) packed, moisture-retentive |
| Feeding | Roaches/crickets, no longer than half the body |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 5: Extreme (Medical Significance) |
| Handling | NEVER |
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
- Baby Buddy for hatchlings
- Burrow Buddy grow-out
- Large custom terrestrial for adults
Warnings First
- DUPLICATE-SPECIES FLAG: very likely the same species (S. dehaani) as Big Z's existing Malaysian Cherry Red listing under a different supplier locality name: cross-check photos before treating as two unrelated animals
- Medically significant venom, same risk profile as other large Scolopendra
- Notably thick and heavy-bodied with a strong grip
- Fast and aggressive; tool-only handling always
- A heavy-bodied animal packs its burrow walls tighter, so the burrow itself breathes less than a slimmer species' would. Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls matters more here, not less.
Simple Care
- Deep packed substrate sized for a heavier-bodied animal.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls, at substrate level.
- Secure locking lid.
- Shallow water dish packed with pebbles so pedelings cannot drown.
- Tongs/cup only.
- Generous floor footprint.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Give this one a wider floor footprint than a slimmer subspinipes of the same length: dehaani runs noticeably thicker-bodied, and a narrow enclosure feels cramped sooner than the length alone suggests.
- Standard deep, moisture-retentive substrate with a drier refuge zone applies as with other giant Scolopendra.
- Cross ventilation at substrate level deserves extra attention on this species. A thick-bodied dehaani compacts the walls of its burrow as it moves through, which means less passive gas exchange down there than a slimmer centipede gets. Vents low on two opposite walls keep air moving horizontally through that layer instead of letting it sit saturated and still.
- Bond fine stainless mesh over the low vents and check every gap against the head, not the body. A thick centipede still has a narrow head, and the head is the part that decides whether it can leave.
- Ventilation and ambient humidity trade against one another. The way to keep 70 to 85% with real airflow is damp lower substrate plus a water dish feeding moisture upward, never sealing vents to trap it. A closed box reads well on a hygrometer and grows fungus on your centipede.
- Check moisture by feel: bottom third clumps and holds without weeping, middle stays cool and damp, top inch can look dry. That vertical gradient is the microclimate.
- Run a shallow water dish packed with pebbles or flat stones so the water sits below the rim. A heavy-bodied species drinks more than you would expect, the stones stop a small grow-out animal from drowning, and the dish feeds humidity in at floor level so you can keep the open substrate less wet.
- Mist under the cork rather than across the whole enclosure. The damp pocket under cover is where this animal rests, and keeping the rest drier lets the air actually move instead of sitting heavy.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Feeding: roaches or crickets no longer than half the body length, every 4-7 days for juveniles, every 10-14 days for adults. This species has a hearty appetite matching its bulk, but don't scale up prey size just because the body is thicker.
- Growth: comparable to other large dehaani/subspinipes-complex members.
- Maintenance: pull uneaten prey within a day; don't disturb a fresh molt.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Mainland and island Southeast Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia; this color form reported from Indonesian localities.
- Habitat translation: Same tropical leaf-litter/forest-floor burrower profile as other giant Scolopendra.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Worth an internal photo comparison against Malaysian Cherry Red before running these as two unrelated catalog entries: if visually indistinguishable, they may be one species with two supplier-sourced color variants.
- S. dehaani documented with five distinct natural color morphs across its range in a 2016 taxonomic paper, supporting the same-species hypothesis.
- Sources: the full Big Z APA 7 reference list lives at References.