The Complete Beginner's Guide to Keeping Isopods

Welcome to our first blog! The Complete Beginner's Guide to Keeping Isopods. 
We are going to talk about a few main topics, and some topics will be covered more in future blogs. Today we are going to cover: What is an isopod? Where do isopods live? Why do you have isopods? What do isopods eat? How to keep isopods as pets. 

What is an isopod?
First thing you should know about isopods is that they are a terrestrial crustacean. Their most common names are pill bugs, potato bugs roly-polies, and I bet you have some right in your very basement or back yard naturally living. Within the isopods, there are many different genus and species which means lots of them are going to look very different and similar to one another.  Since isopods are a crustacean structurally they are actually more similar to a lobster or a crab compared to other traditional insects that you see.

Isopods are going to breathe humidity through specialized organs on their underbellies: pleopodal lungs or gills. They require a degree of moisture in the air for oxygen exchange to happen in these gills. Some species are more arid and need low humidity where others prefer a high humidity. In each of our isopods, we let you know their preferred humidity level and if they are a more arid or humid loving species. 
Where do isopods come from? Where do they live?

Isopods come from many different regions in the world such as Europe, Asia, South America etc. You are almost always going to find them in the same area: moist dirt, moss, bark, wood rot, wet caves etc. They love to be in wet humid areas due to them being a terrestrial crustacean. If you checked outside in the garden, flip over a couple rocks or wood and you will be sure to find some there. Sometimes in the corners of your basement you can find isopods crawling along the edge looking for a humid area to set up camp. 

Why do you have isopods?

Lots of enthusiasts keep isopods for two reasons: clean up crew & micro pets. When you are keeping other reptiles such as a gecko, it can be beneficial to have isopods in with your gecko to help the enclosure act as a full eco system that naturally breaks down waste and plant debris. The second reason you keep isopods is for the sheer happiness of having a desk pet! These micro pets can come in an array of colours, from pink, orange, black, red or green. 

What do isopods eat?

 Isopods are detritivores. They thrive on dead and decaying organic matter. They do best with wood rot & leaf litter as their primary source of food. They turn debris into organic soil. They can eat various vegetables such as cucumber, carrots or zuchinni to help with hydration. They can find protein in various different ways: smelts, legumes or fungi. 

How to keep isopods as pets?

To keep an isopod, you need to start with an enclosure. Our starter kit comes with a 12.9Q bin and it has vented holes in the top for not only air exchange, but air flow so they can molt properly. Inside your enclosure near the vents you will have an arid area and this area is to be your dry side. With substrate and wood rot mixed at the base of your enclosure you will add in wet moss to the far side away from the vents. This will be your high humidity side. By having one side completely dry and one side very wet, you will create the perfect humidity gradient in your enclosure.  

You can add in some bark for them to climb on, and this also adds in more surface area for them to grow their population on. Top off their enclosure with leaf litter and let those critters get used to their new space. You can add in any extra foods you’d like: vegetables, protein sources etc. 

Overall, isopods are a great micro pet with many benefits for your reptile enclosures. If you ever have questions, visit our isopod specific species to reference information on that specific species. If your question isn’t answered, feel free to send us an email at thereptilejungle@outlook.com 

All information here is from our experience keeping isopods.
The Reptile Jungle