Pink Dragon Millipede (Desmoxytes)
Desmoxytes planata
Wholesale
Category
Millipedes
Minimum order
MOQ 100 head
Per-head price
Partners Only
Overview
Adult Length
2.2 – 3 cm body length
Venom
Non-venomous. A spiny dragon millipede; its hard branched spines plus hydrogen-cyanide and benzaldehyde (almond-scented) defensive secretion deter predators — fluid can stain and irritate skin/eyes. Pink colour is aposematic.
In the Wild
Habitat
Forest floor and disturbed/synanthropic ground (gardens, plantations) across much of Thailand; a wide-ranging, often-introduced species. Lives in leaf litter and damp soil. 0 – 1,200 m.
Wild Diet
Detritivore — decaying leaf litter, rotting wood and fungi. Nocturnal recycler.
Captive Care
Temperature
23 – 28 °C ambient — 22 °C cool end
Humidity
75 – 90 %. Keep substrate consistently moist with leaf litter; ventilate well.
UV Requirements
None required (nocturnal).
Feeding
Decaying hardwood leaf litter and rotten wood as staple; supplement with cuttlebone calcium and a little fruit/veg. Smaller and daintier than the round-bodied millipedes.
Enclosure
Terrestrial; 5 – 8 cm of moist leaf-and-wood substrate with deep litter and bark. Communal. Min 20 × 20 cm.
Temperament
Docile, slow and secretive; relies on spines and chemical defence rather than fleeing. Handle minimally.
Distribution in Thailand