African Giant Chocolate Millipede, 25cm+

Twenty-five centimetres of glossy chocolate-brown millipede is a genuinely startling thing to see in a living room, and it is the size that sells this species. What keeps people keeping it is the temperament. African Giant Chocolates are among the easiest large millipedes in the hobby, they live the better part of a decade with reasonable care, and unlike a great many big invertebrates they spend real time above ground where you can actually see them.

The colour runs from a deep warm chocolate through to reddish-tan depending on the individual and how recently they moulted, with a hard gloss that catches the light as they move. Long-lived, large, active and forgiving is an unusual combination, and it is why this remains one of the species I recommend most often to people wanting to keep something substantial.

The species

Ophistreptus guineensis, family Spirostreptidae, from West Africa and most commonly Ghana, Nigeria and the surrounding region. You will also see them sold as the Giant Chocolate Millipede or simply the Chocolate Millipede.

The habitat detail worth knowing is that they come from savannah country with distinct wet and dry seasons rather than from constant rainforest. That is why they are noticeably more drought-tolerant than most tropical millipedes, and it makes them considerably more forgiving of a keeper who lets an enclosure dry out for a few days than a rainforest species would be.

Size, lifespan and what that means

Adults reach around 25 to 26 cm, putting them at the upper end of what is available in the UK, and with good husbandry they live seven to ten years. That lifespan deserves a moment's thought before buying, because it is a longer commitment than most people expect from an invertebrate and considerably longer than a lot of small mammals.

It also changes how you should think about the enclosure. A tub that suits a juvenile will not suit the adult, so it is worth building for the animal it will become rather than the one that arrives.

Setting up

Substrate first, because with millipedes the substrate is the food rather than the bedding. Give them depth, 15 cm at minimum for adults and more if you can, using something they can eat: our invertebrate substrate is built on hardwood and leaf litter rather than inert filler, which is exactly what a large Spirostreptid needs.

Work in a generous quantity of white-rotted hardwood. This is not a supplement for these animals, it is a staple, and a big millipede works through it faster than you expect. Cover the surface with hardwood leaf litter and keep topping it up; magnolia leaves stand up longer than most under something this size.

They climb well and are surface-active, so include sturdy cork bark and branches, and use a secure lid. Floor space matters more than height for a millipede, but they will use whatever vertical structure you give them.

Warmth and moisture

Aim for a consistently warm enclosure in the mid-twenties, which they tolerate up towards thirty without complaint. A UK room in winter generally will not hold that on its own, so plan for gentle background heat during the colder months rather than hoping the house does the work.

Keep the substrate damp all the way through rather than misting the top and leaving the depths dry. Millipede mouthparts cannot cope with hard dry material, so moisture is as much about keeping their food edible as about hydration. That said, this species handles a drier spell better than most, and the more common mistake with them is a waterlogged base rather than an arid one.

Calcium and feeding

Rotting hardwood and decayed leaf litter should always be available and form the bulk of the diet. Beyond that they take soft fruit and vegetables in moderation, plus an occasional protein source.

Calcium is not negotiable for an animal building 25 cm of exoskeleton across repeated moults. Keep cuttlebone available permanently, or crushed limestone or oyster shell, and let them take what they need. Failed moults are the most common serious problem with large millipedes and a calcium shortfall is usually behind them.

Handling

They are harmless and unusually placid, which makes them one of the better large invertebrates for someone nervous about handling. Like most millipedes they coil defensively when startled, and under real stress they can release a small quantity of defensive fluid that may stain skin, so wash your hands afterwards as a matter of routine.

Support them from underneath and let them walk across your hands rather than gripping. Keep sessions short; they tolerate handling well but they are not built to enjoy it.

Who this suits

An excellent first large millipede, provided you can keep a room warm and are comfortable with the lifespan. Against the Ivory Millipede it is substantially bigger and longer-lived; against the Cameroon Olive it is heavier-bodied and more deliberate, trading some of that species' restless activity for sheer presence.

See the full millipede collection for the rest of the range, or the isopods if you are putting together a mixed bioactive setup.

Arriving with you

We post Monday to Thursday only, by Royal Mail next day by 1pm, so nothing spends a weekend in the postal network. Animals travel in ventilated tubs with damp sphagnum moss inside a double-walled box, and every order carries a 20% overcount and our live arrival guarantee. Give new arrivals a deep, warm, dark enclosure and a couple of weeks to settle in before you expect to see much of them.