Pink Dragon Millipede Care Guide (Desmoxytes planata)
By Kernow Isopods · Truro, Cornwall
Dragon millipedes are small, spiky and beautifully coloured, with bright pink spines and legs. They're not hard to keep, but they need a deeper, damper and leafier setup than most isopods. Here's how we keep our Pink Dragons.
Quick facts
- Adult size: around 3 cm
- Temperature: 22–27 °C
- Humidity: high, with a damp substrate
- Lifespan: roughly 1–2 years as adults
- Difficulty: moderate (3/5)
Enclosure
A plastic tub or small glass enclosure of about 5–10 litres suits a small group. Give it some ventilation, but less than an isopod tub: millipedes dry out more easily. A tight-fitting lid is essential, as they are good climbers.
Substrate: the most important part
Millipedes eat their substrate, so make it deep and rich. Aim for at least 8–10 cm of organic topsoil and coco fibre mixed with plenty of crushed leaf litter and well-rotted hardwood (white-rot wood is ideal). Keep it evenly damp all through: squeeze a handful and it should hold together without dripping.
Humidity & heat
- Keep the substrate moist and mist lightly when the top starts to dry.
- Leave a slightly drier corner so they can move if it gets too wet.
- In UK winters, a small heat mat on the side of the tub (never underneath, as it dries the soil) keeps them active.
Food
- Staple: leaf litter (oak, beech) and rotting wood. Always keep plenty on top.
- Calcium: cuttlebone or crushed eggshell. They need it to moult.
- Extras: small pieces of cucumber, squash, mushroom or fish flakes once or twice a week. Remove leftovers before they go mouldy.
Moulting
Millipedes moult underground in a little chamber, and they're very vulnerable while they do. If one disappears for a few weeks, don't dig it up. A deep, undisturbed substrate is the best protection.
Handling
They're best admired rather than handled. Like many millipedes, Desmoxytes can release a defensive secretion (sometimes with an almond-like smell). It isn't dangerous, but wash your hands after any handling and keep it away from eyes.
Keeping with isopods?
Dragon millipedes can share a large bioactive enclosure with peaceful isopods and springtails, as long as there's plenty of food and leaf litter. A dedicated tub makes it easier to see them and to protect moulting millipedes, though.
Common problems
- Deaths after moulting: substrate too shallow, too dry, or disturbed. Go deeper and leave them alone.
- Never seeing them: normal! They spend much of their time burrowing, especially by day.
- Mould: too wet with too little air. Add a vent and let the top dry slightly.