Giant Millipedes and Isopods: Display, Not Cuddle

Giant millipedes and isopods (woodlice, pill bugs) are gentle decomposers that are easy to keep and fascinating to watch. They need a humid enclosure with deep, moist substrate, plenty of leaf litter and rotting hardwood to eat, and a hiding place. Giant millipedes can be handled briefly with clean, damp hands; isopods are best watched. In the US, many giant millipedes need a USDA permit.

Slow, gentle and fascinating: a giant millipede at work in the leaf litter.

Typical keeper guidance. Species differ; check with a specialist keeper.

Millipedes and isopods at a glance
Diet	Decaying leaves and hardwood, plus vegetables and a protein source
Substrate	Deep, moist, with leaf litter and rotting wood
Humidity	Moist substrate with a drier area; good airflow
Company	Groups are fine for both
Handling	Millipedes briefly, with washed hands; isopods best watched
Law	Many giant millipedes need a USDA permit in the US

A Display Relationship

These are animals to watch rather than cuddle. The pleasure is in a well-built, natural-looking enclosure where they burrow, feed and breed. Children often love them, with supervision.

Giant Millipedes

African giant millipedes and other large species can grow to several inches long and, for some species, live for years. They are slow and gentle. Pick one up by letting it walk onto a flat, damp hand. Some species release defensive fluids that can stain or irritate skin, so wash your hands before and after, and keep hands away from your eyes.

Give them deep substrate to burrow and molt in (several inches of moist, organic soil with rotting hardwood and leaf litter), and don't disturb a millipede that has buried itself to molt.

Isopods: Pets and Cleanup Crew

Isopods come in many colors and patterns, and some keepers collect and breed them as a hobby. They're also the "cleanup crew" in many bioactive reptile and amphibian enclosures, eating waste, shed skin and mold. Give them moist and drier areas, leaf litter, cork bark and a protein source such as fish flakes now and then.

Diet: Decomposers, Not Predators

Both eat decaying plant material: leaf litter (oak and beech are popular) and rotting hardwood, plus small amounts of vegetables and a calcium source such as cuttlebone. Remove anything moldy that they aren't eating.

The Law

In the US, many giant millipede species are regulated as potential plant pests: importing or moving them needs a USDA APHIS permit, and some states add their own rules. Elsewhere, rules differ by country. Check with your national authority before you buy, and never release millipedes or isopods outside.

Bioactive-Style Basics

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A ventilated enclosure with deep substrate is the base. Natural leaf litter and rotting hardwood are both food and habitat, cork bark gives hides, and a digital hygrometer and a mist sprayer keep the moisture right.

Frequently Asked Questions

Handling and food come up most.

Can you handle a giant millipede?

Briefly, yes. Let it walk onto a flat, damp hand, and wash your hands before and after. Some species release fluids that can irritate skin.

What do millipedes and isopods eat?

Decaying leaves and rotting hardwood, plus small amounts of vegetables and a calcium source.

Can millipedes and isopods live together?

Many keepers do keep them together, and isopods help clean up. Give enough space and food for both.

Are giant millipedes legal in the US?

Many species are regulated, and importing or moving them needs a USDA APHIS permit. Check with USDA APHIS and your state first.

Why is my millipede buried and not moving?

It is probably molting. Leave it undisturbed until it comes back up.