# Anyone keep isopods (sowbugs, pillbugs, woodlice, roly-poly) as pets?



## CosbyArt (Mar 26, 2016)

I was wanting to know does anyone else keep isopods? (or the common names sowbugs, pillbugs, woodlice, roly-poly, etc - or sometimes referred with a space in-between... sow bugs, pill bugs, wood lice)

I original started back in November 2014 making a small colony of the species I found in my backyard, primarily Armadillidium nasatum. I used them as tank cleaners for my mantids and crickets, but left many in their own habitat too. Since then I've had a flourishing colony that has many little pinhead sized nymphs nearly all the time, and some adults are getting rather large. Here is a photo of one of my larger isopods...







They have seemed to have turned into a pet more than anything else over the last year, and I find them an interesting species. Today I gathered some more isopods to expand my colony even more. I found the best way to count them is in a photo, marking off the ones I've already counted. Here's a preview of that...






I used different colors for groups of 50, once I had counted them all, I had a total of 387 isopods just from collecting today (or 32 dozen and 3 left over).  I added some photos at the end of my post of the isopods in the collecting container, and after they were put into my isopod colony. The carrot in the photo is a baby carrot that I put in the colony habitat about 12 hours earlier, there are actually several carrots in the tank, so they can really put the food away.

Well to the point of all this, besides sharing my finds today...

As there is an occasional different species of isopods than my main Armadillidium nasatum in my collected specimens, will the various species bred together causing a mixed breed? I ask as I would like to prevent such a issue, and if it is a possible concern then I will go though and separate them from my colony habitat; however, if that can happen and be an issue I would imagine it has already happened in my backyard long ago as well.

I plan to also purchase some of the various isopod species sometime too, so I asked the above question as it would apply to any new species I buy. I would rather build one large isopod habitat for all the species, but wanted to know if I would have to make several small habitats instead.

Has anyone purchased Orin's isopod books and can tell me what the difference is between the two books? The two books in question are, "Pillbugs and Other Isopods: Cultivating Vivarium Clean-Up Crews and Feeders for Dart Frogs, Arachnids, and Insects" and the other, "Isopods in Captivity: Terrarium Clean-up Crews". The first is 104 pages long, the second is 44 pages - and is the only difference I can find without buying them both. Also it seems any insect site (such as Peter's BugsInCyberspace) seems to carry one and not the other, and so it is Amazon at the moment (although it is reversed).

I may have to PM and ask Orin about it, as he is a member here, but I'd rather not bug him about it if someone has already bought them.  Likely I will just purchase the one book Peter has, and get the other book later on too.

Well my last question at the moment - as isopods are a nocturnal, or at least a species that prefers the dark, would using a black light (Peter sells one) allow me to view them without them running for cover? I would want to more easily observe my isopods, and take some photos occasional too, as it seems whenever I lift over the habitat lid they quickly hide under the bark/sticks/logs/etc. I can view them through the clear sides of their tank, but I am very limited on what goes on just around the tank edge.  

Here is my limited view of them, you can see many are devouring a baby carrot (this is before I added today's specimens)...


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## spider_creations (Mar 26, 2016)

i have started a blue isopod culture a few weeks back which is doing well and i also kept a common pill bug culture awhile back


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## Brunneria (Mar 26, 2016)

I keep several isopods atm, both native and introduced species. Been really getting into them lately


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## CosbyArt (Mar 26, 2016)

spider_creations said:


> i have started a blue isopod culture a few weeks back which is doing well and i also kept a common pill bug culture awhile back


Glad to see at least I'm not the only one.  Does your blue isopods look like the ones from here?



Brunneria said:


> I keep several isopods atm, both native and introduced species. Been really getting into them lately


Great, I find them a fascinating subject.

Maybe you could help, in my original message above I posted some questions (below the first two photos), take a look and see if you can help solve any of them for me.


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## Hisserdude (Mar 27, 2016)

Oh yeah, I got lots of isopods species and color forms!  

Here's a list of my Isopods:

*Armadillidium vulgare

*Cylisticus convexus
*Cylisticus convexus "Pied"
*Oniscus asellus
*Porcellio laevis
*Porcellio laevis "White"
*Porcellio scaber
*Porcellio scaber "Pied"
*Porcellionides pruinosus
*Trachelipus rathkii
*Trichorhina tomentosa
And I have a few more color morphs in the works!  

I don't think these guys are able to hybridize, as A.vulgare and A.nasatum are often found together in the wild and there have not been any hybrids reported. 

Orin wrote the smaller booklet first, and then wrote the bigger, much more detailed book later. I would definitely get the bigger one, I own it and, like all of Orin's other books, it has been a great source of information.


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## Hisserdude (Mar 27, 2016)

Dang it, why can't I edit?


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## Tonypace2009 (Mar 27, 2016)

I don't know much about Isopods except to feed them leeves and lettuce and they make beautiful substrate I have two cultures of them the smallest in a 2 quart mainstay enclosur that is doing super well have new babies all over the place in this enclosure little white micro bugs. My other enclosure is a aquarium but isn't doing as well I think I have to much ventilation in this one. 

This one has a odd pattern to it and it is 1/2" long these guys seem to get pretty big they came came from Lago Vista Texas cought them while centipede hunting last year. 

I throw a quarter hand full of leeves in and they reduce it to substrate in about 4 days.


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## CosbyArt (Mar 27, 2016)

Hisserdude said:


> Oh yeah, I got lots of isopods species and color forms!
> 
> Here's a list of my Isopods:
> 
> ...


Awesome! Very nice to see someone has so many varieties.  Do you have any posts or images about of isopods online? Are they housed together or in separate habitats? Also many thanks for answering some of my original questions as well, I appreciate it.

Indeed the hybrids was the question I was concerned about, and thought hopefully it wasn't a issue as the different species co-exist outside.

Alright thanks for the book details that cleared up the differences. Knowing me I'll likely end up with both anyway.  



Hisserdude said:


> Dang it, why can't I edit?


That is strange, no idea why you can't, are you using a phone or something maybe?

Edit - I was going to suggest you post to the Mantidforum Software Update thread for help, but you already did.

In that case try contacting Peter, sounds like a issue that will need to be taken up with the forum software company as it is a compatibility error on their part. He would have to contact them to file a support ticket, you can try contacting them yourself on this page (but I doubt that would do anything as you don't pay them).



Tonypace2009 said:


> I don't know much about Isopods except to feed them leeves and lettuce and they make beautiful substrate I have two cultures of them the smallest in a 2 quart mainstay enclosur that is doing super well have new babies all over the place in this enclosure little white micro bugs. My other enclosure is a aquarium but isn't doing as well I think I have to much ventilation in this one.
> 
> This one has a odd pattern to it and it is 1/2" long these guys seem to get pretty big they came came from Lago Vista Texas cought them while centipede hunting last year.
> 
> ...


It is amazing how small their nymphs start out.  Sounds like yours are hungry pigs too. I throw in carrots, lettuce, potato pieces, and whatever else I have handy. Although mine don't seem to care for the potatoes, but I've seen other keepers claim theirs love it.

Very well could be a ventilation issue - in my smaller "shoebox" sized container I leave the lid on at all times, and it has no ventilation. It gets air exchange when I open it to feed them, mist the habitat, or check on them (plus it isn't 100% airtight anyway). They seem to be the most happy and active when water is beading on the sides of their habitat.

My millipede tank is a larger container (about three times bigger) and I keep the lid on it, and no ventilation either, but it still has humidity issues. The only thing I can think of for that one is the lid must not hold tight, as I have to water/mist it more often.


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## spider_creations (Mar 27, 2016)

yes my blue isopods do look kinda like that when nearing a molt they turn powdery blue...i also love them becuase they are very squishy so i feed them to some of my pets......i am also working on a gaint canyon isopod culture they get huge


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## Hisserdude (Mar 27, 2016)

CosbyArt said:


> Awesome! Very nice to see someone has so many varieties.  Do you have any posts or images about of isopods online? Are they housed together or in separate habitats? Also many thanks for answering some of my original questions as well, I appreciate it.
> 
> Indeed the hybrids was the question I was concerned about, and thought hopefully it wasn't a issue as the different species co-exist outside.
> 
> ...


Sure I got pics of some of mine on my blog, guess I'll post them here too!  

Oniscus asellus:











Cylisticus convexus and C.convexus "Pied"











Porcellio scaber "Pied":


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## Hisserdude (Mar 27, 2016)

They are all housed separately, and when new color forms pop up in my colonies I separate those as well. It's really cool how many new color forms have popped up in my colonies over the past few years, it makes keeping isopods even more fun!  

Yeah I'm using a Kindle fire, I may have to report it to Peter, it's getting annoying lol!


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## CosbyArt (Mar 27, 2016)

spider_creations said:


> yes my blue isopods do look kinda like that when nearing a molt they turn powdery blue...i also love them becuase they are very squishy so i feed them to some of my pets......i am also working on a gaint canyon isopod culture they get huge


Thanks for the explanation, I was curious why blue as they look gray. I thought maybe it was like the color brown on some animals (cows, dogs, etc) being called red.  

That is a very unique trait, I'll have to add them to my wanted list.



Hisserdude said:


> Sure I got pics of some of mine on my blog, guess I'll post them here too!
> 
> ...


Very nice, thanks for posting! I'll have to check out your blog too.



Hisserdude said:


> They are all housed separately, and when new color forms pop up in my colonies I separate those as well. It's really cool how many new color forms have popped up in my colonies over the past few years, it makes keeping isopods even more fun!
> 
> Yeah I'm using a Kindle fire, I may have to report it to Peter, it's getting annoying lol!


Thanks good to know, and does make sense to try keep them separate to try getting them to bred the recessive genes. You do seem to have some interesting colors going on.  I think it's funny that my wife is squirmish even of my isopods, but they are a hit with everyone else. They are so low mantinace what is not to love  

I would imagine so, indeed see if Peter can send in a error/help request about it.


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## spider_creations (Mar 27, 2016)

Today I found that one of the pregnant blue isopods had babies sorry I can get any photos of them because they are so tiny but I can pics of the adults


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## Hisserdude (Mar 27, 2016)

spider_creations said:


> Today I found that one of the pregnant blue isopods had babies sorry I can get any photos of them because they are so tiny but I can pics of the adults
> 
> View attachment 7229
> 
> ...


Nice Porcellionides! I have some myself, but I haven't been able to get any good pictures if them as of yet. I have two that are white, I am hoping I will able to isolate the morph.


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## Hisserdude (Mar 27, 2016)

CosbyArt said:


> Very nice, thanks for posting! I'll have to check out your blog too.
> 
> Thanks good to know, and does make sense to try keep them separate to try getting them to bred the recessive genes. You do seem to have some interesting colors going on.  I think it's funny that my wife is squirmish even of my isopods, but they are a hit with everyone else. They are so low mantinace what is not to love
> 
> I would imagine so, indeed see if Peter can send in a error/help request about it.


Wow, most people are quite fond of isopods, even the more squirmish individuals.  Oh well, I'm sure they'll grow on her.


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## CosbyArt (Mar 27, 2016)

spider_creations said:


> Today I found that one of the pregnant blue isopods had babies sorry I can get any photos of them because they are so tiny but I can pics of the adults
> 
> ...


No problem, they are about impossible to photograph. Every time I get my camera lined up, focused, and ready to take the picture they are always out of the shot. I usual try a few more times, and by then they are already hiding somewhere else.  

Nice to your powder blues nonetheless.  



Hisserdude said:


> Wow, most people are quite fond of isopods, even the more squirmish individuals.  Oh well, I'm sure they'll grow on her.


Well she will let me get my colony box beside her to show her whatever is going on, so at least I can do that. About anything else I have she will get up and run off.


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