Housing & Enclosure

Enclosure Type & Size

• Type: Terrestrial / Burrower.
• Size: Give it floor space to roam and room for deep substrate. Ask our team for the right size.
• Ventilation: Because they are a desert species, they require good ventilation. A standard mesh screen lid is highly recommended to prevent stagnant air and mold.
• Lid Security: Ensure the lid fits tightly! They are surprisingly strong and excellent climbers.

The Substrate Warning (CRITICAL)

• The Golden Rule: Millipedes eat their substrate. It is their home and their primary food source.
• NO COCO FIBER: You MUST AVOID coconut fiber (Eco Earth) or coconut husk. Millipedes cannot properly digest coconut, and eating it will cause fatal impaction.
• Recommended Mix: Use a fertilizer-free, organic topsoil mixed heavily with crushed decaying hardwood leaves (oak, maple) and white-rotted hardwood.
• Depth: Deep enough for the millipede to bury itself completely. Ask our team for the depth. Deep substrate is required for them to burrow and safely molt.

Décor & Enrichment

• Hides: Place large pieces of curved cork bark or flat stones on the surface for them to hide under.
• Water Dish: Provide a very shallow water dish. Ensure it is shallow enough that they cannot drown.

Temperature

• Heating: Room temperature is usually fine. If your house is cold, use a heat pad mounted on the SIDE of the tank, on a thermostat. Never use an under-tank heater, as millipedes burrow to escape heat and will cook themselves.

Humidity & Moisture

• Target Range: Moderate. Use a hygrometer, and ask our team for the range to aim for.
• The Moisture Gradient: Do not soak the entire tank. The best method is to keep the bottom few inches of the substrate moist (by occasionally pouring water into one corner), while allowing the top few inches of the soil to remain relatively dry. This allows the millipede to dig down to find moisture when needed.

Diet & Nutrition

Millipedes are detritivores—nature's recyclers. They eat decaying plant matter.

Primary Diet (The Substrate)

• The majority of their diet consists of the decaying hardwood leaves and rotting wood mixed into their substrate. You must occasionally replenish the leaf litter on the surface as they eat it.

Supplemental Diet

Ask our team which fresh extras, if any, to offer. Use a shallow dish and remove uneaten food before it molds.

• Calcium (CRITICAL): Millipedes require calcium to build their hard exoskeletons. Keep a piece of cuttlebone in the enclosure at all times.

Molting & Cohabitation

The Molting Process

• When a millipede needs to grow, it will burrow deep into the soil and construct a hollow "molting chamber." It may stay buried for a long time.
• NEVER dig up a buried millipede. If you disturb their molting chamber, they will likely die. Be patient and wait for them to emerge on their own.

Cohabitation Warnings

• With Other Millipedes: Ask our team before housing millipedes together.
• With Isopods (WARNING): Do not cohabitate millipedes with isopods. Isopods are highly protein-driven and have been known to eat molting millipedes alive while their new exoskeletons are soft.

What We Use & Recommend

These are products we use and recommend for this species. Stock varies by store, so ask us what we have in store today.

Last updated: 2026-08-04

How We Keep Them at Critter Cabana & Gresham Pet Supply

• Damp Below, Drier Above, in a Dry Oregon Winter: When Pacific Northwest furnaces kick on from October through April, indoor air dries out fast. We keep the lower substrate damp by pouring water into one corner, and let the top stay drier. The substrate is fertilizer-free soil full of decaying hardwood leaves and rotted wood. Good ventilation keeps mold away, and we mist the walls, not the millipede.
• Safe Room Heating in the Willamette Valley: Room temperature is usually fine. If your home is cold, use a heat mat on the side of the tank, on a thermostat. Never put heat underneath, because millipedes burrow down to escape heat. Ask us for the temperature range to aim for.
• Shopping at Newberg & Gresham: For enclosures, cork bark, substrates, springtails and feeders at Critter Cabana (Newberg) and Gresham Pet Supply, ask us what we have in store today.

Common Questions (FAQ)

How do I keep my Texas Giant Gold Millipede warm and humid enough during an Oregon winter?

Keep the lower substrate damp and the top layer drier, with good ventilation. Use fertilizer-free soil mixed with decaying hardwood leaves and rotted wood. If your home is cold, use a side-mounted heat mat on a thermostat, never underneath. Ask us for the exact temperature and humidity to aim for.

What size enclosure does a Texas Giant Gold Millipede need?

Give it floor space to roam and room for deep substrate to burrow and molt in, with a tight, well-ventilated lid. Ask us for the right size.

Can I put isopods in a Texas Giant Gold Millipede bioactive enclosure?

No. Keep your millipede on its own, with no isopods, springtails or other animals. Isopods can eat a millipede while it is soft from molting.

Where can I find Texas Giant Gold Millipede, cork bark, and feeder insects in Oregon?

Ask us what we have in store today at our two exotic animal stores: Critter Cabana in Newberg (514 E First St, 503-537-2887) and Gresham Pet Supply (2185 NW Burnside Rd, 503-665-7606).