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Shop with confidence from the very same invertebrates supplied to stores, rescues and zoos!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 low humidity, high and low temperatures. They range in colors and patterns, but are typically light gray and are often spotted.
A. vulgare
Difficulty: Beginner
Size: .71 inches.
Housing: Plastic storage bin or glass terrarium
Food Preferences: Decaying wood, cork, vegetables, dried leaves, grasses, lichen, Reptanicals Isopod 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 Reptanicals Bug Bedding, slightly moist with a layer of leaf litter
Humidity: slightly humid, mist one side of enclosure to create a moisture gradient
Supplements: Reptanicals Oyster Shell for calcium, or Reptanicals 5-in-1 Calcium Supplement: a great mix of natural calcium sources for isopods (especially exotic species), all derived from the same calcium sources they would encounter in the wild such as limestone, granite and coral. Reptanicals Shredded Shrimp, a tasty treat to offer for additional protein.
Hides: Cork bark, lotus pods, coconut halves and egg carton all make excellent hides for the isopods. Adding multiple hides to your enclosure offers ample room for juveniles and adults, and also provides your isopods a more enriching environment.
Enrichment: offer various types of mosses (pillow, sheet) to serve as both snacks and hiding spaces, hides (like those above) and climbing areas. If possible, provide items that vary in texture and break down at different rates.
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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 create a Bio-Active ecosystem like nature intended. Isopods 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.
Why do you ship juveniles and not adult isopods? By shipping juveniles (not tiny mancae) of breeding age, it ensures that our customers receive the entire breeding life of the isopods. Elder adult isopods often produce smaller broods, or have stopped breeding entirely. They also have an indeterminate lifespan as there is no way to gauge exactly how old they are, and may perish shortly after arrival due to the stresses of shipping, or old age. By shipping juveniles, we can guarantee our customers a full lifespan and lots of future isopod generations!
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 Isopod Breeder Kit for easy care and to ensure the health of your isopods. Our kits come complete with Bug Bedding substrate, leaf litter, a lotus pod hide, calcium, moss, and a sample of our Isopod Feast - 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 Reptanicals Isopod Feast. They are kept on Reptanicals Bug Bedding, sprinkled with leaf litter. We include moist sphagnum moss to help maintain humidity, provide cuttlebone for calcium and cork hides for enrichment.
Don't forget to pick up our Reptanicals Isopod Feast, a great nutritionally complete diet. Use it in addition to fresh food, such as vegetables like carrots. Developed by biologists, our premium protein packed blend of vitamins, minerals and nutrients make the perfect gut-loading cuisine isopods can't get enough of!
Don't miss out on our additional Reptanicals isopods species and products!
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Shipping: All live isopods are shipped Monday-Wednesday via Priority Mail. Express 1-Day Shipping may be chosen at checkout for a fee.
Orders placed on or after Wednesday at noon will ship the following week to avoid spending the weekend at the post office or on a truck. Someone must be present to accept package delivery.
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Cold Temps: All orders are extremely well insulated. If your area is experiencing temperatures below 45*F, for LAG we reserve the right to mark box "HOLD at Post Office".
Hot Temps: Cold packs are included free of charge. For temps exceeding 85*F: LAG we reserve the right to mark box "HOLD at Post Office".
If temperatures exceed 100*F, we reserve the right to delay shipping until cooler temperatures resume.
For complete LAG see Shipping Policies
