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Common Pillbug (A. vulgare) (Tangerine)
Armadillidium vulgare "Tangerine"
Morph Tangerine. The Common Pillbug. The isopod par excellence (up to 0.7 inches). The genus Armadillidium is famous worldwide for its perfect 'conglobation' capacity: in case of threat, they close into an impenetrable perfect ball (like the armadillo animal). Ridiculously resilient, adaptable to variable humidity and very prolific in captivity (Especially in the Magic Potion, Punta Cana, High Yellow morphs). Perfect clean-up crew.
Class:Malacostraca
Order:Isopoda
Family:Armadillidiidae
Genus:Armadillidium
Species:Armadillidium vulgare "Tangerine"
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
50 - 70 %
Day temperature
21 - 26 °C
Night temperature
18 - 22 °C
UVB
None
Species description
Geographic Origin and Habitat: No additional source-verified editorial notes are available about geographic origin and habitat for Armadillidium vulgare "Tangerine". Consult this record's parameters and sources.
Taxonomy and Genetics: No additional source-verified editorial notes are available about taxonomy and genetics for Armadillidium vulgare "Tangerine". Consult this record's parameters and sources.
Behaviour and Habits: No additional source-verified editorial notes are available about behaviour and habits for Armadillidium vulgare "Tangerine". Consult this record's parameters and sources.
Morphology and Sexual Dimorphism: No additional source-verified editorial notes are available about morphology and sexual dimorphism for Armadillidium vulgare "Tangerine". Consult this record's parameters and sources.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: STANDARD BINS OR MEDITERRANEAN BIOACTIVE TERRARIUMS. Battle armored animals. They tolerate simple plastic boxes without extremes. Essential thick organic soil layer (they love to burrow heavily and remain underground for days). Few horizontal corks but mountains of chopped dead leaf litter.
Lighting and Heating: ABSENCE OF DIRECT LIGHT. They survive everything: temperatures of 64-75°F (18-24°C). Explosive reproduction only at 77°F (25°C). They tolerate drastic winter cold by burrowing in the cellar (Temporary underground hibernation).
Humidity and Hydration: TOLERANT STANDARD GRADIENT (50-80%). They tolerate lower levels of humidity than many tropical isopods. Asphyxiating condensation does not kill them instantly, but the ideal box has a corner dripping with moss (to reproduce in a ball buried in the cool) and a huge ventilated space with superficial crunchy dry leaves.
Feeding and Supplementation: Slow Burrowing Omnivorous Detritivores. They feed massively on underground soft rotten wood and soil (Fundamental food for intestinal flora). They appreciate decomposing domestic vegetable scraps (soft potato peels, carrots). Proteins (Minnows or Krill) should be given with a dropper: they tolerate their absence well and are not lethally cannibalistic towards the manchae.
Compatibility: Excellent Protected Cleaning Crew. Incredibly useful for leopard geckos or medium-sized saurians. Even if bitten by a lizard, the hermetic closure in a hard 'ball' literally spits the isopod out of the mouth of the predator disgusted by the invulnerable shell. They are peaceful, blind to the rest of the world and stubborn workers of the soil.
Health and Common Diseases: Decay from lack of leaf layer / Calcium ('Molt Stagnation' ). If you raise them on pure coco fiber (sterile) or clean sand without tons of loose calcium (crushed cuttlefish bone), their wonderful 'ball' exoskeleton will crumple and they will die bent and unable to close into a sphere ever again.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
This species originates from: Europa.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsEurope, Mediterranean, and West AsiaCosmopolitan or introduced
Terrestrial invertebrate profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 1.8 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Venom level
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 1.8 cm. The British Myriapod and Isopod Group — Armadillidium vulgare source reports a maximum adult measurement of 1.8 cm for this species, recorded as body length. The biological datum refers to the base species Armadillidium vulgare, not exclusively to the commercial variety. These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
