winter millipedes

[Mike "troll" Dame]

came across this guy (and a bunch o other things) today(Contra Costa County), see them occasionally but have no clue who they are, any idea anyone?

[cacoseraph]

holy cryptic coloring!

how big is that?

[Mike "troll" Dame]

i really need to remember to bring the tape measure into the field with me, they are around 2"

[cacoseraph]

Originally Posted by Mike "troll" Dame

i really need to remember to bring the tape measure into the field with me, they are around 2"

nice!

i was expecting them to be around 1" (decent coloration usually means smaller and guessing off the wood grain)

hey, have you ever tasted millipede repugs? i tried them from one of our local 3-4" species... very sour! indicative of an acid based repug, maybe?

i really need to get cracking at my Southern California Herbivore/Detritivore Tank. i tried it a few times in the past, but with low vent rigs that rotted out. low vent works for a lot of things... but multispecial detritivore tanks is not one of them!






you know, the more i look at that picture, the more i think it is one of the nicest tube millipedes (vice the flat body structure) that i have seen in CA!




side note: i have *sorta* thought about tat'ing measuring marks on myself... but then i realized i would have to calibrate the darn things every year and it would be more trouble than it is worth heh

[Mike "troll" Dame]

nope the 3-4"ers secretion cause weird bruising to my fingers/hands so i tend to keep them away from my mouth

Originally Posted by cacoseraph

hey, have you ever tasted millipede repugs? i tried them from one of our local 3-4" species... very sour! indicative of an acid based repug, maybe?

[cacoseraph]

Originally Posted by Mike "troll" Dame

nope the 3-4"ers secretion cause weird bruising to my fingers/hands so i tend to keep them away from my mouth

i am pretty sure that is a product of iodine interacting with somethign in your skin. the species i tried causes the same thing.

some ppl get *quite* nervous when they see what appears to be their skin dying on their hands. heh.



hehehe... you stimulated another tool in my "bug disguise kit". the other one is local swelling via polymorpha bite. i can be a bug zombie for halloween ehhehee

[Mike "troll" Dame]

iodine interesting i never considered that they might secrete that

Originally Posted by cacoseraph

i am pretty sure that is a product of iodine interacting with somethign in your skin. the species i tried causes the same thing.

[cacoseraph]

Originally Posted by Mike "troll" Dame

iodine interesting i never considered that they might secrete that

i *think* i read that is why AGB's can turn you purple too, so i thought it is not too unreasonable for our boys to do the same thing. and it *is* a very iodiny purple

when i have had my hands turn like that i get no other symptoms that you would expect with that kind of general low grade damage. they don't seem to need to heal and i can't feel anything different that would indicate cytolysis or anything like that.

[Rowland Shelley]

It is a representative of the Parajulidae, order Julida, which are common across the lower 49 states, including California. Also, there are no millipedes at all, anywhere, that secrete iodine; that is a myth or "Old Wives Tale," take your pick. These particular millipedes secrete organic compounds called cresols, which reach with protein in the skin and cause the purple discoloration, which wears away in due time. Rowland Shelley

[Mike "troll" Dame]

thanx a bunch Rowland

Originally Posted by Rowland Shelley

It is a representative of the Parajulidae, order Julida, which are common across the lower 49 states, including California. Also, there are no millipedes at all, anywhere, that secrete iodine; that is a myth or "Old Wives Tale," take your pick. These particular millipedes secrete organic compounds called cresols, which reach with protein in the skin and cause the purple discoloration, which wears away in due time. Rowland Shelley