I just spent more on a bug than I make in a week.

[Kipluck]

To be fair, I make almost NOTHING, but still...

Oh people people people.... today was the REPTILE EXPO. I had plans. They included 1 green tree frog OR grey tree frog to go with Mab since Oberon died and 2 Bumble Bee Walking Toads because mine died and I love those little guys.

Well, I got neither. Instead I came home with 2 UVA/UVB bulbs for just $30 each (steal of a deal), plans to SOMEDAY get a veiled chameleon but not till I can afford a huge set up for it (and a lot other things get bigger cages first), and....

a little baby albino PacMan Frog named Ms. AND a Giant African Train Millipede named Millie the Thoroughly Modern Millipede!!!! I am out of control excited. They are amazing. They are adorable.



One sad thing was I came home to Ka, my 4 year old male betta, was dead. However, I'll be honest, for the past month I have been debating the clove oil/vodka treatment. It was a bit of a relief to see him go on his own. sad

But at least I have 2 new creepy cuties to make me feel better. Ms. will be in the tank meant for the Bumble Bee Walking Toads (for now the... what is that, 8 gallons? It's more than 5, but it's not a 10.... as she is just a tiny little thing. She can have Stanley's old 10 gallon later.

Mille the Thoroughly Modern Millipede has a round critter keeper that makes her look awesome. It compliments her shape... she is so freaking cool.  

[Cowgirl-with-heart]

millepedes are awesome xD  

[Purple Hyena]

I, personally, don't like millipedes. They're creepy. But I like frogs! ^^  

[Kipluck]

Cowgirl-with-heart

millepedes are awesome xD

I quite agree! She is amazing to watch walk, her tiny, graceful little legs! I love her already.

Of course, I SAY "her" because I like her name, but I haven't really looked at her close enough to be certain of that. Eventually I will... because if at ALL possible I WILL be looking for a mate. As hard as this species has been to track down (I have been looking for 5 years now.) I have amassed a list of people who want them and will pay good money to have a legal, captive born specimen.

lilymu12

I, personally, don't like millipedes. They're creepy. But I like frogs! ^^

That's alright. My sister and mom are not too impressed with my newest buggy friend. My mom says she sweeps them out off the basement too often. My sister says nothing except "EW EW EW!!!!" and she is my boss. Professional, eh? hee hee!

But the frog, Ms., oh SHE IS BEAUTIFUL. Very tiny and round and bright yellow with orange swirls like a colorful little marble. She has red eyes and that usually freaks me out (I never have been a fan of pink eyed rats or red eyed gliders) but with her they are just pretty.

The only problem so far with Ms. is that she may have to wait for Monday for her real first meal with me. sad I think I need littler crickets. The ones I have aren't BIG but they seem to scare the crap out of little Ms.! I offered it to her via plastic tweezers but she backed away like it was a cobra. And the store is not open now. OR she can try a little mealworm. We will try that too.

HOPE she is not going to be a hard feeder! evil  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

I can't say I've ever spent money on a bug sorry. I did use to rescue spiders and try to keep them as pets but my mom would make me put them outside at the end of the day. I kept tadpoles too in the summer, caught them myself and kept them in my clubhouse in a lil fish bowl that was meant for those fake aquariums, where you have plastic fish and you fill it with gel...lol, anyway, lucky for me cause I knew nothing, there apparently was enough nutrients in the bowl to keep the suckers alive long enough to sprout legs and escape. What do tadpoles eat anyway? I also kept a few frogs...unsuccessfully...I always wanted a snake, and I nearly convinced my mom once, she made it all the way to the pet store and in discussing the nutrition of the snake, that ended that dream for good lol. But I got to hang on to garder snakes for the day and release them at night. I caught a salamander camping once. My parents wouldn't let me keep her because "we can't bring animals across the border it's illegal" they can smuggle all the beef and fruit they want though rolleyes She was ammaazzinngg though, black with yellow spots. So perfect for me lol.

I think that's it for creepy crawlies.

I spent more on a rat than I made in a week. (I'm making 3 times as much now though lol) When Aida was rushed to the vet, her bill came to 100 dollars for the consult, antibiotics and NSAID's. Even my rat owning friends who started my love of rats wouldn't go to that extent to save their rats. It's amazing really, my love for each creature started somewhere, with dogs and cats it was my parents. And when I was a kid I was an idiot who didn't take good enough care of them. Who thought walking the dog was a chore etc. But now I've taken over purchasing food and vet bills and constantly nagging other people not to let the cat out at night, not to let the dog lick the dishes etc.

With rats it was my friends, two of them owned rats and I loved their girl rats and how they would chill in my hoodies when I visited. Now they call me when they have a rodent question.

Fish, I knew nothing, one friend had a betta, another friend actually use to work in a fish store, she tried to convince me if I mixed a betta with platties the betta would kill the platties and yet, my betta is currently being bullied by them but he's in a 15G with a heater and filter whereas my friends always did the betta bowl crap.

Sorry, off topic, but, I was just realizing how much more research and education and knowledge I have on certain animals than the people who I once looked to to teach me about them.  

[Vanilla eXee]

The most I've spent on bugs is probably like $5-6 for a cup of mealworms xD. That will be increased one day when I can set up a mealworm breeding facility. Pretty nice grabs! Are they going to be party animals?

@Gabby: That was a great story!  

[Upirium]

Ughh I so need to get another milipede ): they were my favorite animals. I only spent 20 on mine though  

[Ailinea]

I used to have a pet millipede too! I also named her Millie, aren't we original xD

She lived for a while until I went to college and placed her in my sister's care to which Millie died within a couple months, I'm guessing because my sister forgot to feed her her calcium supplement. :/ It was so fun to watch her eat though. She loved apples! Also, make sure you comb over for mites; Millie had a TON when I brought her home from Petco and I tried rising them off her, using vaseline, everything. Removed a significant chunk of them, but there were still quite a bit left.

I loved letting her walk around on my arm and my bed though. She was awesome! Loved her little hidey log and plants. Enjoy your new friend! biggrin  

[Krissim Klaw]

About a month back I had a millipede for a few weeks. He was an adorable back and yellow striped little one. He was named Limbo at the suggestion of a friend. Limbo was only a temporary guest though. He was a rescue. Found him on a Starbucks counter at a place that used to have tons of them. Well the day my dad saw him and caught him for me, he learned from the teller they were bringing in exterminators the next day to take care of the millipedes. Sure enough, I went back the following day to see if I could rescue any others and all that remained were a bunch of dead millipede corpses. It was so sad.

I debated keeping Limbo but I felt bad. He was very shy and I could tell he wanted to roam the earth again and search for lots of lady millipedes. Oh, I should mention sexing millipedes is generally easy peasy. All you have to do is look at about their 7 segment from their head. If the legs continue smooth down from their head onward you have a girl. If however it looks at the millipede is missing one set of legs or they are broken in half in that area, you have a boy.

Limbo was a great teacher for when I decide if I want to go for the giants. I found hands down his favorite food was rotting wood and leaves from my oak tree. He also enjoyed snacking on the piece of dog food I added. Never saw him touching any of the fruits/veggies I offered. gonk

He was only about two inches long and I had him in a ten gallon tank. Personally, I have already decided I wouldn't want to keep one of the adult giant species in anything less than a 20 gallon. I know a lot of sites say 5-10gallons, but all the millipedes I have seen enjoy being able to move around and I like them to feel like they can go somewhere without bumping into a wall every five seconds.  

[Shanna66]

i want a millipede someday, they are so amazing and friendly. bugs make such interesting pets though the only bug pets ive kept were butterflies and some feeders ive put aside to use as breeders or let them live out their little bug lives because they were somewhat friendly or interesting looking  

[Kipluck]

Vanilla eXee

The most I've spent on bugs is probably like $5-6 for a cup of mealworms xD. That will be increased one day when I can set up a mealworm breeding facility. Pretty nice grabs! Are they going to be party animals?

@Gabby: That was a great story!

They will PROBABLY be party animals. Millie the Thoroughly Modern Millipede seems NOT to have been held much if at all in her previous life. So far, doing so gets me squirted with poison. Now, that is okay because I can wash my hands, but she will need to be a lot more comfortable before she can go to parties, just in case. If she tames down, then the kids will get to see her awesomeness. If not, then she will just be my own. Either way, my most rare and expensive non-mammal ever. But she is so freaking awesome.

Ailinea

I used to have a pet millipede too! I also named her Millie, aren't we original xD

She lived for a while until I went to college and placed her in my sister's care to which Millie died within a couple months, I'm guessing because my sister forgot to feed her her calcium supplement. :/ It was so fun to watch her eat though. She loved apples! Also, make sure you comb over for mites; Millie had a TON when I brought her home from Petco and I tried rising them off her, using vaseline, everything. Removed a significant chunk of them, but there were still quite a bit left.

I loved letting her walk around on my arm and my bed though. She was awesome! Loved her little hidey log and plants. Enjoy your new friend! biggrin

I know. "Millie." It's like naming a frog Hoppy or a dog Fluffy or Spot. But at least her WHOLE name is Millie the Thoroughly Modern Millipede ala Thoroughly Modern Millie.


Concerning mites, I just wanted to clear up something that is a common misconception. You don't need to get rid of all the mites on a millipede. Little white or yellow ones are bad. You can try flour, you MAY even need to introduce predatory mites if you have a bad infestation. BUT those are drastic because they also eat the OTHER mites I am about to mention (but you should never use Vaseline. It can block the millipede from breathing right. They breath out of the side of their bodies.). Larger reddish ones are NOT bad. They actually help keep your millipede clean. They stay on the bug rather than infesting the cage. They keep the legs moving freely and free from rot and mold. So despite them LOOKING creepy, you really don't have to get rid all the mites. Just the little bad ones. 3nodding (for future reference.)

Krissim Klaw

About a month back I had a millipede for a few weeks. He was an adorable back and yellow striped little one. He was named Limbo at the suggestion of a friend. Limbo was only a temporary guest though. He was a rescue. Found him on a Starbucks counter at a place that used to have tons of them. Well the day my dad saw him and caught him for me, he learned from the teller they were bringing in exterminators the next day to take care of the millipedes. Sure enough, I went back the following day to see if I could rescue any others and all that remained were a bunch of dead millipede corpses. It was so sad.

I debated keeping Limbo but I felt bad. He was very shy and I could tell he wanted to roam the earth again and search for lots of lady millipedes. Oh, I should mention sexing millipedes is generally easy peasy. All you have to do is look at about their 7 segment from their head. If the legs continue smooth down from their head onward you have a girl. If however it looks at the millipede is missing one set of legs or they are broken in half in that area, you have a boy.

Limbo was a great teacher for when I decide if I want to go for the giants. I found hands down his favorite food was rotting wood and leaves from my oak tree. He also enjoyed snacking on the piece of dog food I added. Never saw him touching any of the fruits/veggies I offered. gonk

He was only about two inches long and I had him in a ten gallon tank. Personally, I have already decided I wouldn't want to keep one of the adult giant species in anything less than a 20 gallon. I know a lot of sites say 5-10gallons, but all the millipedes I have seen enjoy being able to move around and I like them to feel like they can go somewhere without bumping into a wall every five seconds.

Limbo sounds adorable. Millie is only in a little tank (at least for now. In the future, I think it would be cool to have a big woodsy looking tank, like a 20... ESPECIALLY if I can track down a mate and breed them. *sigh* But for now it doesn't seem to matter to her too much. She walks around a BIT but spends most of her time either curled up or peacefully munching greens and fruits my sugar gliders left behind. Hopefully she will chill out a little and maybe then she will need more space to roam once she feels more at home here.

By the way, I am using "her" temporarily... though I don't know what her name will be if she is a he. Since she has been so nervous and, well, poisony, I haven't got a good look at her underside of her 7th segment (I read that though... and that the easiest way to get a good look was to let them walk in a clear glass bowl, them look from underneath. So that's my plan.)

I'm glad you let Limbo go though. I am that way too. Even though I am always catching bugs, I never keep them very long.  

[Krissim Klaw]

Kipluck

By the way, I am using "her" temporarily... though I don't know what her name will be if she is a he. Since she has been so nervous and, well, poisony, I haven't got a good look at her underside of her 7th segment (I read that though... and that the easiest way to get a good look was to let them walk in a clear glass bowl, them look from underneath. So that's my plan.)

I

Limbo was super shy when I first got him. It was almost sad. He would curl up then once set down he push his head in the dirt and just stand there for a good half hour or so before he felt save enough to go hide. I think it took a couple weeks before he started acting less dejected. gonk

Some are just naturally more relaxed about handling than others. About six months back I found one of the same species walking on the side walk. I picked her up for a bit and she was so fun. She wasn't even bothered and walked all over my hands tickling me to death before I finally set her down. I am still sort of kicking myself for not just taking her. She was just so sweet.  

[Parfait Parrot]

I demand pics of all these things. eek  

[PSM Guild Mule]

Bugs for pets, you have more balls than me. ;A;
I never bought a bug but I can easily spend hundreds a month on my fish.

 

[Akari_32]

You know whats wrong with this thread?

Theres no pics! gonk