Porcellio haasi isopod (Porcellio haasi)

Short answers

Porcellio haasi isopod: How big does the enclosure need to be?

30×20×20 cm (about 12 l) for a starter group, larger for a colony; large ventilation areas.

Porcellio haasi isopod: What temperature does it need?

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

Porcellio haasi isopod: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Not required.

Porcellio haasi isopod: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 1–2 years (dealer figure only).

Porcellio haasi 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 % (only about a fifth of the area moist, the rest dry)

UVB

Not required

Enclosure

Minimum size

30×20×20 cm (about 12 l) for a starter group, larger for a colony; large ventilation areas

Substrate

Soil and leaf litter mix with calcium, cork or tree bark, moist moss and rotten white wood in a small corner

Feeding

Food

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

Feeding interval

Vegetables once or twice a week, protein 2–3 times a week, leaves/wood/calcium always available

Key facts

Adult size

About 2 cm body length, up to about 3 cm including the tail appendages

Life expectancy

1–2 years (dealer figure only)

Origin

Northern Spain (Aragón, around Zaragoza and the Bardenas); dry, mountainous areas

Protection status

Not protected

Brumation

None

Cohabitation

Colony. Keep as a group, starting with 10–15 animals. Only this one species per box – Porcellio will nibble on freshly moulted smaller isopods when short of protein, and moisture-loving species do not suit this dry setup.

Notes

Spanish dryland species kept much drier than most isopods; it fails in high humidity. Several colour forms are traded, such as „Light“, „High Yellow“ and the locality form „Bardenas“.

Look for Porcellio haasi isopod (Porcellio haasi) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Giant canyon isopod (Porcellio dilatatus) – Beginner
• Dairy cow isopod (Porcellio laevis) – Beginner
• Bolivar's isopod (Porcellio bolivari) – Intermediate
• Giant Spanish isopod (Porcellio expansus) – Beginner to intermediate
• Yellow-bordered woodlouse (Porcellio flavomarginatus) – Beginner
• 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 Porcellio haasi isopod (Porcellio haasi) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (30×20×20 cm (about 12 l) for a starter group, larger for a colony; large ventilation areas), substrate (Soil and leaf litter mix with calcium, cork or tree bark, moist moss and rotten white wood in a small corner), a heat source with a thermostat, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.