Moroccan Isopod

Porcellio sp. 'Morocco':: Robust North African isopod. Prefers higher temperatures than average and a substrate with a clear separation between wet and dry zones.

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widespread worldwide thanks to humans, prefers humid woods, rotting wood, damp cellars and agricultural compost heaps.

Taxonomy and Genetics: Family Porcellionidae. Terrestrial crustaceans (they are NOT insects). The nominal species is completely gray/pale brown, but the mutations on the market ('Dairy Cow', 'Orange', 'Milkback') have made P. laevis a real display animal.

Behavior and Habits: Soil piranhas. Hyper-active, bold and ravenous. Unlike other shy isopods, 'Dairy Cows' literally swarm over food in broad daylight, forming moving mountains. They do not roll up if frightened (they cannot conglobate), but run like rockets to hide. They devour any source of protein and calcium at record speed.

Morphology: Massive and wide crustacean (Up to 1 inch / 2.5 cm), smooth (Laevis means smooth). The Dairy Cow variant is transparent milky white with asymmetrical black spots similar to ink stains. Equipped with 7 pairs of very agile legs and sensitive antennae to scan the dark.

Terrarium Setup: PLASTIC BINS OR HUMID BIOACTIVE TERRARIUMS. They need a deep layer (2-3 inches) of pure organic soil mixed with crushed dry oak leaves, crumbled rotten wood (Flake soil) and pieces of cork bark to hide. Always insert a cuttlefish bone for calcium.

Lighting and Heating: TOTAL DARKNESS. They hate intense light. No Basking. Domestic room temperature (72-79°F / 22-26°C). At higher temperatures they explode demographically reproducing in mass; below 64°F (18°C) the colony goes into stasis.

Humidity and Hydration: Gradient Humidity (60-80%). CRITICAL: The bin must have a constantly wet corner (where they take refuge to breathe with modified humid gills) and a dry corner to regulate osmosis. If the whole bin dries out, they will die asphyxiated in 24 hours.

Feeding and Supplementation: Shredding Machines (Very voracious Omnivores/Detritivores). The base of the diet MUST BE dry foliage and decomposing white wood. BUT: for P. laevis MASSIVE PROTEINS are needed (Flake fish food, dried shrimp, freeze-dried, cat kibble) or they will start cannibalizing each other stripping the live newborns. Calcium powder is indispensable or they will literally melt during molting.

Compatibility: Lethal cleaning crew. Excellent in terrariums of large reptiles (Pythons, Bearded Dragons, Iguanas) to eat feces and fungi. NEVER put them with fragile frogs, slow geckos or soft invertebrates (like snails or molting tarantulas): their appetite will push them to bite and devour soft animals alive.

Health and Common Diseases: Decay from branchial asphyxia and cannibalism. They will die en masse crumpled dry ('Dessiccation') if you do not moisten at least one side of the soil, or they will explode liquid leaks if there is a total lack of ventilation (Air must circulate, it must not be a smelly swamp).