Giant Spanish isopod (Porcellio expansus)

Short answers

Giant Spanish isopod: How big does the enclosure need to be?

35×25×20 cm (about 15 l), better 40×30×25 cm (about 25 l); large vents on opposite sides and a few centimetres of air space above the substrate.

Giant Spanish isopod: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 18–26 °C, basking spot No basking spot, at night Room temperature, about 17–20 °C.

Giant Spanish isopod: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Not required.

Giant Spanish isopod: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 2–5 years (figures vary widely).

Giant Spanish isopod: Is it suitable for beginners?

Partly – manageable with some prior knowledge (difficulty: Beginner to intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

18–26 °C

Night temperature

Room temperature, about 17–20 °C

Basking spot

No basking spot

Humidity

45–55 % (a quarter to a third of the area kept moist, at least half dry)

UVB

Not required

Enclosure

Minimum size

35×25×20 cm (about 15 l), better 40×30×25 cm (about 25 l); large vents on opposite sides and a few centimetres of air space above the substrate

Substrate

Soil and leaf litter mix with calcium, cork or tree bark to cling under, moist moss and rotten wood in one corner

Feeding

Food

Leaf litter, rotten wood, vegetables, fruit, mushrooms, lichen, protein (fish flakes), cuttlebone or limestone

Feeding interval

Vegetables/protein twice a week, leaves/wood/calcium always available

Key facts

Adult size

2.6–3.8 cm (captive-bred animals often smaller)

Life expectancy

2–5 years (figures vary widely)

Origin

Northeastern Spain; rock faces and cliffs

Protection status

Not protected

Brumation

None

Cohabitation

Colony. Keep as a group, starting with 10 animals. Only this one species per box – large Porcellio will nibble on freshly moulted smaller isopods when short of protein, and other species usually need a different moisture level.

Notes

One of the largest isopods in the hobby. Above all it needs plenty of ventilation and a mostly dry box, but always a moist corner for gravid females and juveniles. Less suited as a clean-up crew in a terrarium – rather a display species for its own box.

Look for Giant Spanish isopod (Porcellio expansus) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Giant canyon isopod (Porcellio dilatatus) – Beginner
• Dairy cow isopod (Porcellio laevis) – Beginner
• Bolivar's isopod (Porcellio bolivari) – Intermediate
• Yellow-bordered woodlouse (Porcellio flavomarginatus) – Beginner
• Porcellio haasi isopod (Porcellio haasi) – Beginner to intermediate
• Orange isopod (Porcellio ornatus) – Beginner to intermediate
• Porcellio succinctus isopod (Porcellio succinctus) – Intermediate
• Greek shield isopod (Porcellio werneri) – Beginner to intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Giant Spanish isopod (Porcellio expansus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (35×25×20 cm (about 15 l), better 40×30×25 cm (about 25 l); large vents on opposite sides and a few centimetres of air space above the substrate), substrate (Soil and leaf litter mix with calcium, cork or tree bark to cling under, moist moss and rotten wood in one corner), a heat source with a thermostat, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.