Common Rough Woodlouse

Porcellio scaber

IsopodbeginnerHarmlessCommunal OK

Harmless to people

Isopods are harmless to humans — no venom, no sting, and no bite that breaks skin. They are detritivores, so wash your hands after handling the substrate.

About

The common rough woodlouse, and one of the hardiest isopods in the hobby — a good first colony and a dependable clean-up crew. It copes with drier air than most, but still needs a damp corner: it has no waxy coating and dries out in a tub that is dry end to end. It does NOT roll into a ball; it clings and freezes when disturbed. Scaber is protein-hungry — offer fish flake, dried shrimp or similar once or twice a week alongside leaf litter and rotting wood, with calcium always available. Well fed, a colony grows fast and can outgrow its tub. The trade sells many colour morphs of this one species (Dalmatian, Calico, Orange, Ghost and others). A bright BLUE scaber is not a morph — the colour comes from an iridovirus infection, and the animal should be removed. DETRITIVORE, harmless.

Taxonomy

FamilyPorcellionidae

GenusPorcellio

Native regionCentral and Western Europe; now established worldwide

TypeTerrestrial

Temperamentharmless, active

Size & growth

Adult sizeup to 0.8 inches

Body length?–0.79 in

Growth ratefast

Life stagesNo distinct stages

Climate

Temperature65–80°F

Humidity50–70%

Enclosure

Adult sizeshoebox tub or larger, ventilated

Substratecoco fiber and topsoil with a moist end and a dry end; leaf litter, rotting wood, bark hides

Substrate depth2-3 inches

Water dishOptional

Moisture gradientRequired — keep one end damp, one end dry

Bioactive clean-up crewYes

Feeding

Feeding modeDetritivore (decaying matter)

Food & scheduleleaf litter always available; protein 1-2x/week

Supplemental calciumRequired — cuttlebone or a calcium powder

Times kept: 0 · Unverified community entry