The word Isopod is derived from Greek meaning "Equal Foot", since they have an equal number of feet on each side of their body. Hobbyists all over the place seem to be working with new & exciting morphs every year, and we're looking forward to learning more & working with different varieties as time goes on. Watch the mothers dig a nest, protect and feed their babies! Peat moss or Coconut Coir bedding. Armadillidium maculatum, better known as the Zebra Isopod, became a household name because of their gorgeous white and black striping!. "Porcellio scaber" Animal Diversity Web. So It's been a while since i've posted here, and I'm actually posting on behalf of my friend. We sincerely thank them for supporting our company and offering a seemingly endless stream of information over the years. We use our non-toxic black silicone as adhesive for adding screen. They love fish flakes and fresh vegetables. As the population grows, the size of the container can be increased considerably. ---- Over the past few years, keeping Isopods as pets has become more common within both the vivarium & exotic pet hobbies. Please engage with me, ask me a question or post a comment. This practice helps the plants, Springtails, and mycorrhizal fungi too! Having a micro vivarium with plants & Isopods is an inexpensive, low-maintenance affair. In our experience, Isopods also help to prevent substrate from compacting over time. This is most commonly required when Isopods are kept as a primary inhabitant of an enclosure (since there won't be any added nutrients from the animal's waste), or when Isopods are kept in an enclosure where they are frequently preyed upon. February 5, 2021. Zebra OneCare SV Right-Priced for Select Printers and TC2X Mobile Devices. It's better to feed a little less than to feed a little too much. Keepers of Ranitomeya and (especially) Oophaga Dart Frogs regularly add Isopods to their enclosures, since freshly morphed froglets require (or at least strongly benefit from) a steady diet of Isopods. When it comes to Isopods, slower movement & finding groups huddled together are both healthy behaviors to observe. Other options include more expensive 2-micron filters, and less expensive coffee filters. Isopods & Springtails are introduced to the enclosure to help the living environment thrive. In addition to community experience, a fair portion of the information in this article was siphoned from the brilliant mind of our team member Mike W, who has been running our Live Department for 5+ years now. Isopods are a massive order of crustaceans which contains over 10,000 different species. Substrate: Peat moss or Coconut Coir bedding. Providing a small vented area on the top of the enclosure is especially important, considering adequate airflow has proven to be highly beneficial to Isopods in captivity. COVID-19 UPDATE: SATOO Reptiles and Aquatics is operating business as usual. Species in this genus are able to roll into a ball when they are disturbed, which helps to protect their soft underbelly while only exposing their harder shell. Soil and layers of dead leaves help create a perfect environment in captivity. In our experience, Porcellio, Armadillidium, Nagurus, and Trichorhina are some of the most commonly kept Genres of Isopods in the hobby. (More on that later) For this reason, vivariums in which the Isopods are a secondary inhabitant are less likely to require additional nutrient rich foods. Accessed 9 Aug. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopoda These are larger isopods with a black and white striped pattern on their shell. Reptile & Amphibian enthusiasts can watch for certain visual cues to tell if an animal is healthy or sick. Isopod Care Sheets. Zebra isopods are a great addition to a humid terrarium. There are a few dozen different species and varieties found in the hobby (only a small percentage are represented at NEHERP), with each having it's own particular traits. These aren't scientific classifications; just an easy way to define & separate two styles of husbandry. Armadillidium Vulgare "Albino" Armadillidium Vulgare "Albino" Read More. If you keep them between 75 and 85 (We've got models available for both plastic & glass style enclosures!). They are a brownish gray color with two orange spots at the terminal end. Afterward, one end of every enclosure is kept slightly more dry than the other to allow the Isopods to naturally hydroregulate. Isopods are positively thigmotactic, meaning they prefer (and in this case will seek) contact with surrounding objects to help them conserve moisture & prevent dessication. A healthy population of microfauna will be better able to keep up with the fragmentation of organic waste, which makes it easier for the mycorrhizal fungi & microbes to break things down into elements which can be more easily utilized by plants. This behavior is why Isopods can often be found grouped tightly together in a social practice called aggregation. ... Isopod Care Sheet. With the Isopods added & vivarium finished, it's critical to allow both Springtails and Isopods at least 3-6 weeks to acclimate before adding inhabitants. (Info used: Scientific classifications, native range) In this article we'll be focusing on information pertaining to the terrestrial varieties often kept in captivity as part of a biologically active live vivarium ecosystem. The price is … Plants shed leaves, many types of mycorrhizal fungi produce mushrooms, and some algae creates biofilm. (Info used: Turn alternation confirmation for Armadillidium) "Taxis" Wikipedia. 2013, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Porcellio_scaber/ Nutrients will naturally pass from the primary inhabitant down into the microfauna populations, where the waste will be fragmented & devoured. An Isopod's rate of travel depends on a number of factors including temperature (70-85°f preferred), humidity (55%+ R/H preferred), amount of light (darkness preferred), and even "tightness" within an area. Origin: France. Our retail location is open to the public during our normal hours of operation, and we are still shipping Monday-Thursday. They are good sized and boast very striking black and yellow stripes. Below we'll describe all of the common vivarium setups which have unique care advice for Isopods. It's worth mentioning that none of the species we work with is capable of inflicting a bite on a human, and we've never seen Isopods display aggression toward any Reptile or Amphibian cohabitant species. This isopod likes a drier substrate with drier leaves but with a moist retreat. Armadillidium. Isopoda is an order of crustaceans that includes woodlice and their relatives. UVB lighting isn't required, and the most basic (i.e. Description. It should also remain airy enough to allow microfauna to travel freely from top-to-bottom within the substrate layer. Zebra Isopod Care Guide. Porcellio scaber is an isopod that is usually dark grey in color. Isopods are technically a suitable prey item for a ton of different small Reptiles & Amphibians. This special value service provides the right coverage for the right price for eligible Zebra printers and TC2X mobile devices, including: Coverage for normal wear and tear and device failures 8x5 local time live-agent technical support 5-day repair turnaround time And many dart frogs will not be able to consume adult zebra isopods, making them a great choice as a cleanup crew … Fish flakes seem to quickly attract detritivorous mites, uncooked rice seems to harbor & allow for the proliferation of flying pests, and both cereal and dog food seemed to slow the growth of the cultures while attracting unwanted guests. Isopods general care sheet smug bug.pdf. As a hobby-specific business we refer to these little critters as "Isopods", although that term is incredibly broad outside of this context! In some rare cases where there isn't enough available nutrients, adding very small amounts of nutritional food may be beneficial to an Isopod population within a vivarium. “Rubber Ducky” lives in the tropical areas of Thailand. Substrate should be at least a couple inches deep, and a few inches away from the top of the enclosure. This behavior has earned them the common names "Roly Poly" and "Pillbug". These Isopods are just under 1/4in long as adults, and are the smallest varieties we offer. Isopods are unbelievably low maintenance by comparison to just about anything short of a houseplant, and they make a great quirky pet in a variety of different settings. If they'll be used as a detritivore within a vivarium designed for another primary inhabitant, we strongly recommend allowing extra time to ensure they can establish a large enough population. Natural soils provide most of the organic nutrients and minerals isopods feed on regularly as well. Beautiful ARMADILLIDIUM MACULATUM Zebra ISOPODS for sale at the lowest prices only at Underground Reptiles. Check out our forum and our directory. There are over 190 species of Porcellio, and we look forward to working with new types in the future. In the meantime, we'll summarize the three categories we use to keep track of Isopods at NEHERP. Isopods kept in a basic enclosure won't benefit from the food described in the above "Natural Live Vivarium Detritus" paragraph, so it's critical to provide food from both the "Leaf Litter" and "Nutrient Rich Food" categories instead. Compared to Springtails, Isopods are also less prone to dessication (drying out) in an enclosure, which allows them to be a little more bold by climbing higher surfaces to reach things which might otherwise be missed. These little black and white zebras are a great beginner isopod. In addition to being kept as pets & utilized as detritivores within live vivarium environments, these dwarf species are sometimes offered as feeders for small insectivores. 10 mixed size zebra isopods. To keep isopods healthy you will need a few things: Adults grow to around 3/4in long, making them significantly larger than the Dwarf varieties we work with. (Info used: Scientific classifications, diversity, common names, native range) Isopod counts are for mixed sizes unless otherwise specified. This section will illustrate in detail how to care for Isopods within a live vivarium environment, and what one can expect in terms of long term maintenance. As with the orange isopods, most adult dart frogs, except Phyllobates terribilis, will not eat the adult Zebra isopods due to their size. Wikipedia.org, While there are a few Isopod enthusiasts keeping these as pets, we've found that the majority of our clients utilize Porcellio scaber as detritivores within live vivariums & other enclosures which would benefit from their company. The V2 Substrate which comes with our kits should last for years, and the only special instruction for an Isopod-only vivarium is crushing up some boiled leaf litter & mixing it into the substrate layer before the enclosure is finished. There are many ways to ensure Isopods can thrive in captivity, and we'll describe the foods & methods which have worked best for us over the years. inexpensive) recommended Vivarium Lighting solutions will do the trick. If an abundance of nutrient-rich food is left out for too long, it may attract unwanted guests like Fungus Gnats. When conditions aren't favorable due to any of the aforementioned factors, an Isopod will move quicker until it finds a more comfortable setting, where it will slow back down. On the other hand if they are actively moving around at a fairly rapid pace (without first being disturbed), there may be something less than ideal going on with their environmental conditions. After experimenting with all three in the past, we found mostly negative results in comparison to our usual method described above. For live delivery guarantee: if your temps are below 40 or above 85° the "Hold for Pickup" button must be checked above! They reproduce quickly and are very surface active, so they are great for both bioactive setups and display enclosures or terrariums. Our goal is to offer only what the Isopods will devour within 36-48 hours at each feeding, and only offer more food once the original amount has been gone for 1-2 days. If Porcellio scaber Isopods begin munching on plants in your enclosure while plenty of leaf litter is available (this is extremely uncommon), we recommend offering more nutrient rich foods (Repashy Bug Burger or Repashy Morning Wood) using the methods described earlier in this article. We have both a striped phase colony and a spotted phase colony, which breed quite true at this point. We recommend Dwarf Isopods for vivariums which will be housing smaller inhabitant species. We carry and work with a handful of different species & morphs, but there are tons more available in the hobby. They are a relatively large isopod once fully grown. All three of the varieties we work with (natural/wild type, 'Dalmation', and 'Spanish Orange') are different lines of the same species (P. scaber). Partial glass tops are strongly recommended to keep humidity up within both Aquarium & Terrarium enclosures. 'Dwarf Purple', Trichorhina tomentosa, The 'Dwarf Isopod' label applied to these varieties stems from the hobby, and doesn't reflect an official taxonomic rank. ... display Zebra. Armadillidium maculatum Zebra Isopod, 12 juvies for $14, available (cannot ship to Florida) This beautifully striped (sometimes spotted) species is a hardy isopod, perfect for beginners. To start, we recommend adding a pencil eraser sized portion of either Repashy Product and checking to see how quickly it's devoured. ---- The Isopods we work with won't readily climb clean glass or plastic containers with vertical sides. "Woodlouse" Wikipedia. We'd expect to find signs of Isopod activity throughout the leaf litter layers after about 3-4 weeks, where they'll be found feeding on the decaying leaves. Common Name: Zebra Isopod. See the instructions for culturing your own clean up crew here.… The same goes for Isopods, believe it or not! A big species that exhibits maternal care! In nature, the species of Isopods we care for are typically found in leaf litter, under wood & rocks, and in other moist areas. Porcellio species can't roll into a ball like their Armadillidium cousins. They get many offsprings and often show up on the surface. Some enthusiasts recommend adding some calcium within the substrate through powders or cuttlefish bones, but we've never found this to be necessary while using the already fortified Repashy diets & NEHERP Substrates. If a species of Isopod is kept as a pet, or the "main attraction" within an enclosure, we consider them the primary inhabitant. The following advice applies to vivariums built to the specs described in Vivarium Construction 101, and may not apply to enclosures built using methods we wouldn't recommend. That being the case, its care and breeding is identical to the powder blue, above, and it makes an equally excellent cleanup crew isopod. In our experience, Isopods are more effective at quickly breaking-down larger bits of detritus than Springtails, which helps ensure waste is processed a little quicker than it would otherwise. Isopod Maintenance. This is thought to ensure that an individual is less likely to circle back & become prey when threatened, and will be more likely to eventually find a favorable condition during casual movement. We recommend keeping these definitions in mind while reading through the rest of the article. Dwarf varieties seem to reproduce fastest when kept between 70-80F, but they will survive in both higher and lower temperatures. (Over 6-7in long) Colloquial names for this widespread species include "Rough Woodlouse", "Common Woodlouse", and "European Woodlouse". Odd as it may sound, Isopods actually make a great pet for a variety of different types of owners; not just exotic animal & plant enthusiasts. ---- We recommend against feeding Isopods fish flakes, rice, cereal, and dog food. Doing so will usually help to minimize (or at least decrease) Isopod predation, from what we've seen. We keep these between 70-84F, and provide a slightly moist substrate at all times. / University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Cynthia Riggio The 1st segment and the pleon are yellow. Scientific Name: Armadillidium maculatum. The light & airy substrate mixture benefits mycorrhizal fungi, which is at least partially responsible for finally breaking organic matter down into elements which can be more easily absorbed by plants. Isopods aren't responsible for decomposing these materials directly, but they do greatly contribute to the fragmentation of organic matter. They don't really use forums and they're actually a bit too upset to post/think about it currently. These are a little harder to maintain than a live vivarium, but are far cheaper & simpler to create. A big species that exhibits maternal care! We wouldn't recommend a practice like this, since long-term abundances in nutrient rich substances can result in various opportunistic pests proliferating within the live environment. Many say that if you keep too many isopods of this kind in a tank, they’ll stop reproducing automatically. ---- They reproduce quickly and are very surface active, so they are great for both bioactive setups and display enclosures or terrariums. Isopods are substrate cleaners and the adults and nymphs are suitable as feeders. Read more. The little sea pillbug Cubaris murina is a cute little isopod species smaller than the familiar pillbugs that live in many US backyards. After the Isopods have a moment to work themselves down into the substrate (they usually will pretty quickly), Leaf Litter can be added to the vivarium as the final touch. For that reason, the care recommendations & behavioral analysis above applies to all three varieties. This isopod likes a drier, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Customer Support Tickets, Privacy, Refund Policy and About Us, Troubleshooting Problems in Your Red Worm Composting Bed, Composting Worms Can Help Humanity Heal The Planet, Fish food flakes, fresh vegetables, dried. Most of the Isopods we sell are utilized as detritivores in a live vivarium environment's food web. For a more in depth look into isopod care, I have created this care sheet. Reference URLs direct you away from our site where our privacy policy doesn't apply. NEHERP Isopod Cultures are 100% safe to pour directly on top of the substrate layer, and we recommend evenly spreading a cultures contents within an enclosure to avoid any high points. Our goal is to offer the best info we can, and we're always eager to learn. The substrate is admittedly a little "over-engineered" for a simple enclosure like this, but it's the basis of all of our breeder cultures here at NEHERP, and we've had great luck with it over the past few years. These Isopods are our top-choice for use as a cleanup crew within a live vivarium housing most inhabitant species. More specific advice will depend on the type of vivarium you'll be designing and the type of inhabitant (if any) you'll be caring for. "Armadillidium" Wikipedia. If you think anything in our article could use a correction, update, or just extra info please let us know. February 3, 2021. Cephalothorax is called Cephalon in species where it isn’t fused to the first Pereomere (Pereon segment). Both of those diets provide calcium as well as a slew of other vitamins & minerals. Each order placed contains a minimum of 10 well-established juvenile isopods! Lightly mist the enclosure weekly but to not make wet. Each species is generally most active at night, but we've found that they will be more active during the day if conditions are especially humid, and a darker (shadowed) area of the enclosure is made available to them. Live Oak and Sea Grape leaves also work great. Isopods can play a critical role as detritivores within a live vivarium environment. (Info used: Turn alternation confirmation for Porcellio) "Decision-Making and Turn Alternation in Pill Bugs (Armadillidium Vulgare)" International Journal of Comparative Psychology, Tohru Moriyama Very humid enclosures can be misted a little less often, with the primary goal being to ensure the substrate never dries out. Special Features: Especially for beginners, the zebra pillbug is a great kind. Posted on August 18, 2017 by wormblog — Leave a comment Live Isopod Scaber Morph Latest Sowbug Addition. Isopods live in the sea, in fresh water, or on land. (Harmless but annoying, more info in VC102) For this reason, it is absolutely critical not to offer too much food at one time. Wikipedia.org, All vented areas should be covered by fine screen mesh to prevent unwanted guests from joining your Isopod colony. Babies take a few months to reach the juvenile stage, which is a little longer than some Armadillidium species. Porcellionides Pruinosis Isopod Care … We wanted to be sure that we got our facts straight on a couple different topics before publishing this article, and hope you find the below references useful! Little sea pillbugs occur in Texas and Florida according to bugguide as well as tropical locations outside the USA. B y "sheet" I mean small book. Left to right: Armadillidium maculatum, Armadillidium maculatum 'Chocolate', Armadillidium sp. Wikipedia.org, They also like it warmer than many isopods. If you have more info on the topic of adding calcium directly to a substrate, please email us at support@neherpetoculture.com with your opinion. It's especially important to provide a source of leaf litter when keeping this species, since hungry individuals can sometimes turn on live plants when their preferred food source runs short. (Info used: Understanding thigmokinesis & aggregation) Isopods belong to the subphylum of Crustacea (Crustaceans), which makes them more closely related to Lobsters & Crabs than Insects. From there, it should be easier to get an idea of exactly how much a specific culture will devour within a given time. The only concern which is remotely linked to aggression would be interspecies competition. Younger specimens are only slightly larger than common Springtails (Collembola), making them more difficult to spot than their larger cousins. Adult Size: 18 mm / 0.71 in. You can also bring leaf litter in from the wild and feed them to your pillbug. As the Isopods fragment & devour the leaf litter we do our best to replace it ASAP. 8 to 12 months which comes from us tracking individual breeders over time. When cultured, this should include keeping them in a dark area (a closet works well), and at or slightly above room temperature. It gets lonely just talking to worms, crickets and fruit flies all day. A healthy isopod is a happy isopod. Zebra isopods are an excellent choice for vivariums and make a great occasional snack for poison dart frogs and other small animals. A. Maculatum "Zebra" 10ct Isopod (#Zebra) Description. Coming Soon. They are very easy to care for and breed well once established. Virgin cardboard has been used as a source of cellulose within the hobby for years. We recommend providing an enclosure with at least 6 quarts in overall volume (about 1.5 gallons) to start a small colony from one of our Isopod starter cultures. The vivarium, exotic plant, and herpetofauna enthusiast communities we serve are incredible, and the pool of knowledge they bring to the table can't be understated. So they have colonies of Zebra Isopods, and today found that one of them had suddenly died. Difficulty Rearing: Medium difficulty because of the substrate requirements. If you need worms, roaches or any type of feeder insects, please try Wormman.com, They will breed readily if their requirements are meant. degrees they will breed well. "Individual Preferences and Social Interactions Determine the Aggregation of Woodlice" Cédric Devigne, Pierre Broly, Jean-Louis Deneubourg Otherwise, these are a great choice for those who are looking to build a micro-vivarium with Isopods as the primary inhabitant. Isopod and springtail cultures we provide can be introduced directly to your vivarium, or can be used to start your own master culture. Accessed 9 Aug. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlouse It does appreciate good ventilation and both a moist and a dry area. If Isopods are kept as secondary inhabitants within a vivarium housing a more complex species, they'll have even more of a naturally abundant food source courtesy of the animal's waste. Here at Rubber Ducky Isopods, we also include a culture start-up system that contains: 10 Juvenile Zebra Isopods (Armadillidium Maculatum) We'll discuss the differences between Genres (sub-categories) available in the hobby, how to care for them, and what makes each type unique. For this and many other reasons, having an established population of Isopods is especially critical when housing medium & large inhabitants. If you have any of our NEHERP Screen Separator lying around, we'd recommend using it. Zebra Isopods are quite active in vivariums and have a neat white and black striped pattern, thus being nicknamed "Zebra". 25 Feb. 2011, doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0017389 A good live vivarium substrate is a critical element which helps ensure Isopods can establish & maintain a population within an enclosure long term. We aim to offer the most complete advice we can, and would love to hear from you! Consequences of not having a healthy microfauna population include issues like waste accumulation and the establishment of unwanted detritivore species (fungus gnats, etc). Introducing Isopods to most vivariums is recommended, but is especially important when housing medium & larger species which will produce more waste. Tag: zebra isopods. (Pumilio dart frogs for example) We offer tiny amounts of Repashy Morning Wood and Repashy Bug Burger 1-3X weekly, depending on the size/maturity of the colony. Zebra Isopods will do well in a shoe box or any container or aquarium with a lid to keep out pests, flies, spiders and that sort of thing. … ... klugii Ten adult A. Klugii “Montenegro” Price : $40 The classic clown isopod and my first fancy purchase tough to beat the colors on these little guys! Accessed 9 Aug. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillidium When we do, we'll be sure to update this article. Take care to keep the substrate moist because isopods will die quickly if their substrate dries out! Wikipedia.org, The vast majority of Isopods found in this hobby seem to belong to the terrestrial suborder Oniscidea which contains over 5000 known species. It is fairly active and bold, especially in numbers, and is easy to breed. ---- We are glad you are here. Read More. NEHERP Isopod Cultures are 100% safe to pour directly on top of the substrate layer, and we recommend evenly spreading a cultures contents within an enclosure to avoid any high points. The ideal size of a vent depends on your ambient conditions, but we personally add a 2in vent on 6 quart (1.5 gallon) containers, 3in vent on 16 quart (4 gallon) containers, and two 3in vents on 28 quart (7 gallon) containers. Armadillidium maculatum "Yellow Zebra" are an incredible variant of "Zebra" isopods. Lifespan: 8 to 12 months which comes from us tracking individual breeders over time. An inhabitant which eats a few Isopods here & there won't usually damage an established population within a vivarium, since the colony within should be able to keep up by producing new offspring. We recommend moistening the whole enclosure evenly at first as an easy baseline. (This may be an oversimplification, but you get the idea!) We consider this species an excellent choice for all temperate & tropical live vivariums (50-95% relative humidity) which house medium or large inhabitants.