Baby centipedes?

[littleginsu]

I have noticed these little bugs in both my red foot and dessert tortoise enclosures.. they like damp, dark places and look suspiciously like baby centipedes. What are they? And more importantly, if they are baby centipedes, how do I get rid of them?!

The one in the photo is probably half and inch long.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

yes that is a centipede. i dont know how to get rid of them.

 

[tortadise]

I see this as a good thing. The centipedes are feeding off the other bugs, that more than likely, are consuming the tortoises waste, and leftover food. Bugs don't bother me one bit in tortoise substrate(minus fire ants) I would change the mulch out and sanitize the enclosure ONLY if they were baby tortoises. Adults won't have much of a reaction if stung by them. They are not dangerously venomous like South African or Asian species of centipedes. I welcome any creature. It makes me feel like I've set up a proper Eco system for the tortoises. They're here to help

 

[littleginsu]

I see this as a good thing. The centipedes are feeding off the other bugs, that more than likely, are consuming the tortoises waste, and leftover food. Bugs don't bother me one bit in tortoise substrate(minus fire ants) I would change the mulch out and sanitize the enclosure ONLY if they were baby tortoises. Adults won't have much of a reaction if stung by them. They are not dangerously venomous like South African or Asian species of centipedes. I welcome any creature. It makes me feel like I've set up a proper Eco system for the tortoises. They're here to help

My concern is the enclosures are currently in my house and I am afraid they may be Arizona Giant Centipede babies... if they stay that small, I am okay with it.

My red foots are about a year old, do you think that is to young to leave the centipedes be?

 

[AmRoKo]

That does look like the baby version of the centipede you're talking about, though I'm not sure. I usually find some garden millipedes in my enclosures and in my redfoot enclosure there seems to have been an earwig explosion for some reason but those seem to be taking care of any over abundance of gnats/wood mites. Sometimes one of my reds see's an earwig and tries to get it.

 

[tortadise]

My concern is the enclosures are currently in my house and I am afraid they may be Arizona Giant Centipede babies... if they stay that small, I am okay with it.

My red foots are about a year old, do you think that is to young to leave the centipedes be?

Well yah that may be a little concerning if they're the giant ones. They shouldn't hurt them though. You could swap out the mulch just to be certain.

 

[littleginsu]

I will have to keep an eye on them because their enclosure is like 4'x4' and their substrate is at least 8 inches deep... that's a lot of dirt!!!

 

[AmRoKo]

I will have to keep an eye on them because their enclosure is like 4'x4' and their substrate is at least 8 inches deep... that's a lot of dirt!!!

I would try putting diatomaceous earth in areas of the enclosure that doesn't get wet/too wet, you can even mix some up with the substrate.