Velvet Worm

Stick Insects / Snails / Roaches

See category notes

Partners Only

4 – 8 cm body length

Non-venomous. Captures prey by firing twin jets of fast-setting adhesive slime from oral papillae; the glue is harmless to humans (mildly sticky/irritating only). Skin secretions can cause minor irritation.

Moist tropical forest floor. Lives in leaf litter, rotting logs, under stones and bark where humidity stays very high; intolerant of drying out. Nocturnal and photonegative.

Carnivore — an active predator of small soft-bodied invertebrates (termites, small crickets, woodlice, springtails) which it ensnares in slime before feeding.

20 – 25 °C ambient — 18 °C cool end (avoid heat; cool, stable temperatures preferred)

85 – 95 %. Must stay constantly humid — these animals cannot control water loss; keep substrate damp with deep leaf litter and stable airflow.

None required (nocturnal, light-avoiding).

Small live prey — pinhead crickets, small roach nymphs, woodlice and termites every 5 – 10 days; remove uneaten prey.

Terrestrial bioactive box with deep moist substrate, thick leaf litter, cork bark and rotting wood hides; springtail/isopod cleanup crew. Tight-fitting lid with restrained ventilation to hold humidity. ~20 × 20 cm.

Secretive, slow and non-aggressive toward keepers; hides constantly and is best kept as a delicate display species, not handled.