The common Armadillidium vulgare, are also known as roly polys due to their tendency to roll up into a ball when disturbed or threatened. They are a European species of woodlouse and are the most extensively studied terrestrial species of isopod. Unlike some other species, A. vulgare rolls into a complete ball with no gaps or spacing.
Armadillidium vulgare are excellent additions to heavily planted tanks with woody, herbaceous plants and those with large amounts of cork hides or wood substrate. These helpful cleaner isopods consume decaying wood and leftover vegetables. They are a very hardy species that can tolerate high and low temperatures. They range in colors and patterns but are typically light gray and are often spotted.
Difficulty: Beginner
Size: .71 inches.
Housing: Plastic storage bin or glass terrarium
Food Preferences: Decaying wood, cork, vegetables, dried leaves, grasses, lichen, , Reptanicals Isopod Feeder Feast
Temp Requirements: approx. 60 Degrees to 90 Degrees. Extreme cold and heat can be lethal. May go dormant in winter if kept in colder temps.
Breeding: Easy - with proper care sub-adults will begin to breed before reaching full size
Substrate: Coconut coir, peat moss, or Reptisoil, slightly moist with a layer of leaf litter
Humidity: slightly humid
Isopods are gaining popularity in the reptile industry for a number of very good reasons. They are natures janitorial crews! Add them to your home enclosure to reduce mold, feces, decaying matter, and improve substrate health! All while providing a calcium rich, nutritious snack for your critters to enjoy any time they wish.
Enclosure larger than 10 gallons? If you're looking to breed these isopods outside of a vivarium, we'd recommend keeping them in one of our Reptanicals Cleaner Breeder Boxes for easy care and to ensure the health of your isopods. Our kits come complete from substrate, food, everything you need to culture with success!
Our Isopods are fed a mix of organic vegetables and mushrooms twice weekly in addition to our own supplemental food. They are kept on coconut coir substrate with moist sphagnum moss to help maintain humidity, provided cuttlebone for calcium, and cork hides for enrichment.
Dont forget to pick up our Reptanicals Isopod Feeder Feast, a great nutritional addition to fresh food, such as vegetables like carrots. Some isopods, if starved, can consume or chew on delicate critters. Developed by biologists our premium protein packed blend of vitamins minerals and nutrients make the perfect food isopods desire and provide healthy meals for reptiles that consume them!
Don't miss out on our additional Reptanicals isopods species and products!
Priority mail or Express shipping must be selected at checkout for live orders. All live animals are shipped Monday-Wednesday. Orders placed on or after Wednesday at noon will ship the following Monday to avoid spending the weekend at the post office or on a truck. Someone must be present to accept package delivery.
Live arrival guarantee only for orders shipped when temperatures exceed 45*F. Heat packs can be purchased for colder temps, and are suggested for temps under 65*F. Cold packs are available for purchase during higher temps, and are suggested at 80*F+. Live arrival guarantee is void for temps exceeding 100*F.