Porcellio laevis “black”

Short description:

The breeding box in which we keep the Porcellio laevis “black” is the most colourful in our whole stock. The animals are heterozygous “Milkback” and “Panda”. This means that they carry the genes of the other P. laevis colour morphs and their offspring are therefore totally different. Porcellio laevis “Black” can grow up to 2.3 cm and has a development time of about 7-8 months. It is very eager to reproduce!

Porcellio laevis “Black” has a flat, broad body. The basic colour is dark grey to black. They have grey antennae and white legs.

The animals live in the litter layer of deciduous forests, which is why you should also try to recreate this habitat in the terrarium. The substrate is a mixture of leaves, soil, white rotten wood and lime. A layer of moss, pieces of bark and foliage should be placed on top of the substrate so that the animals can find shelters and the substrate does not dry out so quickly. The humidity in the tank should be around 50-70%, whereby care should be taken that the substrate is always kept moist, but not wet. Porcellio laevis “Black” is a very robust isopod species and can be kept at higher humidities if waterlogging is avoided. The isopods are most active at temperatures between 18 and 26°C. Porcellio laevis “Black” can generally often be observed as this isopod species is diurnal. With the right stocking density, you can always spot some if you look into the tank. Porcellio laevis “Black” are an excellent addition to various tanks. For example, they can be kept together with snails, millipedes, phasmids, beetles etc. without hesitation. Many people also keep them in reptile tanks as a health policeman, as they eat food scraps and occasionally serve as food for the reptiles. Theoretically, the organic material contained in the substrate would be sufficient food for the isopods, as this is also the main food of the animals in nature. In the terrarium, however, they also like to eat vegetables, flowers, fruit and isopod food.

Essentials for Porcellio laevis “Black”!