Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i've heard that they can drown in water, but i had a small millipede fall into a 2 inch deep pond in my terrarium. no clue how long it was in the pond, it was slightly curled, lying on its side on the bottem of the pond motionless when i woke up in the morning. but later in the day when i came back, it was gone, haveing crawled back out again i assume. the little pede was only about an inch long.

Interesting story! I, too, have heard that they can drown so I don't know how, presumably, yours survived!!! Are you meant to put a sponge in the water bowl to prevent them from drowning or do they need to be able to walk in the water?

I found one in a puddle once and thought it was dead. I got it out and there was a slight bit of movement. I don't know how long it had been there. I put it in something with a folded paper towel in the bottom to absorb the water. It recovered and was released.
According to THE BIOLOGY OF MILLIPEDES: "Because they are air breathing, almost all millipedes must come to the surface in waterlogged soils to avoid drowning."

As far as having a water dish that they can walk in, not a good idea.

I think www.easyexotics.co.uk recommend that you put a tarantula sponge in the bowl to prevent drowning.