Well, before I get my future Sav, I will be starting colonies of breeder insects I will be getting at least One species of roach (Blaberus discoidalis) but would also like to use millipedes in my diet, and there are several species available to me, both domestic and exotic.

Any recommendations as to which species might be most suited to a Sav? Something African I'm assuming.

One idea was African Giants, though feeding out the smaller young, not the breeding adults.

The species I can find are all listed here: Millipedes2

Now, if for some reason, there is legal issues with getting those in Florida, I might be forced to go with something indigenous. In that case, are there any I should avoid? I know a few species of millipede can secrete irritating compounds, but most are pretty harmless.

Many Thanks!

__________________
Only when the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

Cree Indian Prophecy.

I think you will need to find out if the indigenous species are particularly toxic, I know some species are mildly so, I would think in small ammounts with a larger monitor, they may be o.k, in the wild they consume large ammounts of the giant millipedes, (lulus species).

I know that Archispirostreptus spp. can emit a distasteful compound (it also stains the skin, by the way, and dissolves the glue in glue traps) So I'm leaning away from that species as a feeder, the more research I do, though I may still get some for my own enjoyment.

__________________
Only when the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

Cree Indian Prophecy.

I thought you had to feed a sav mice?

You can, but their natural diet is almost exclusively invertebrates. I'll probably throw in the occasional mouse or other treat, but I'm hoping to go all or mostly insect.

__________________
Only when the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

Cree Indian Prophecy.

You would have to keep bucket loads of millipedes I think to keep a breeding population and have enough to feed your monitors without your colony dwindling down to nothing.
I'm in the process of trying Madagascar cockroaches. I have a few larvae, but they don't seem to be doing much of yet.

I used to fear breeding cockroaches because of the risk of escape and infesting my house.
But, I heard of a new trick.
Raise them in a glass aquarium and apply Vaseline petroleum jelly on the inside of the glass and they can never crawl out.

I hate to say never! but it sounds like a good idea to me.

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`

You are getting very very sleepy!

Greg

You can also use a trash can, keeps them in the dark and is dirt cheap.

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Jesse

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. (Plato)

I'm hoping to compose the diet mostly of cockroaches, crickets, millipedes, superworms, mealworms, mice, in that approximate order.

I don't mind keeping buckets of millipedes around if I have to. In fact, I have several plastic buckets laying around with hinged lids that would be perfect for the job! I might end up ordering 2-3 different smaller species, and keeping a small colony of each. I need to get started soon though, in hopes of having those started before I get my lizard, though there is no rush or deadline, I just want to get my bugs breeding first, and have a relatively stable food source.

__________________
Only when the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

Cree Indian Prophecy.

Dont millipedes bite like no other?

No, millipedes are for the most part decomposers, and their mouthparts are designed for eating semi-rotten vegetation and such. They cannot inflict a bite on a human, though some species have other defensive measures, including emission of Hydrogen Cyanide gas. I will NOT be going with species known to emit anything harmful.

You are most likely confusing them with Centipedes, which are active venomous hunters (carnivores), and one species is known to have killed a person on one occasion.

__________________
Only when the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

Cree Indian Prophecy.