Dairy Cow Isopods For Sale UK (Porcellio laevis) - Isopod / Woodlouse Culture

• Origins: While originally from the Mediterranean, their sheer adaptability has allowed them to thrive worldwide. They are incredibly forgiving of beginner mistakes, tolerating a wide range of humidity and temperature levels.

 

• Large & Robust Build: Porcellio laevis (P. laevis) are one of the larger species of isopod, with adults reaching anywhere between 1-2cm. P. laevis can complete their life cycle in around two months, and adults can live for up to two years.

 

• General Appearance: This species can come in a variety of colour morphs, but typically all have a smooth dorsal surface, two pairs of pleopodal, or external lungs, and males can easily be identified by their long, spear-shaped uropods.

 

• Iconic "Dairy Cow" Patterning: This particular morph gets their name from their distinct dalmatian-like spots. Each individual has a unique black-and-white map, making them a visually engaging species for display.

 

• Highly active option: These isopods are generally hardy and active and have a ravenous appetite, so bare that in mind when using these as clean up crew with non-scaly reptiles as they can nibble on them during a moult! These are a protein hungry species so they’ll need a good protein source 1-2 times a week to prevent them pestering any other enclosure inhabitants. We often use fish flakes or pellets and it doesn't take long to see some of the larger individuals carrying these off to quieter areas to munch on. They are not shy. You will constantly see them running across the substrate and climbing over cork bark. Because of this high activity, they benefit from the extra floor space provided by our Handmade Acrylic Habitats.

 

• Clean-up buffer time: We suggest adding any clean-up crew 7-14 days prior to adding other inhabitants, to ensure the colony has enough time to establish itself within their new environment.

 

• Incredible Reproduction Rates: Once established, a colony of Dairy Cows will explode in numbers. They are the fastest-breeding Porcellio species, making them a cost-effective choice for large terrariums that need a serious cleaning force.

• Adult size: 1-2cm
• Lifespan: 2 years
• Status: captive bred
• Place of Origin: Europe, now widespread
• Temperature: 18-23˚C
• Humidity: 60-80%
• Diet: Hardwood leaf litter (oak, beech, hazel etc), rotten hardwood, flake soil, organic waste/ faeces, sphagnum moss, mushrooms, variety of fruit and vegetables (favourites include cucumber, squash, and sweet potato), sepia/ calcium supplement, protein source (fish flake, shrimp pellets, nutritional yeast)

The EntoScapes Way

 

• We suggest keeping P. laevis between 22-23˚C and 70-80% humidity for best results. 

 

• We keep a large colony of isopods in a 40x20x20cm storage tub with vent holes across the lid. A smaller colony will do just fine in a 20x15x15cm enclosure.

 

• Like other isopods, these need a humidity gradient which can be achieved by making sure there are dry and damp areas in their environment. The best way is to provide sphagnum moss or live moss on one half of the enclosure as a 'hydration station' and keep this constantly moist. We suggest keeping the substrate moist (not soaking!) and provide plenty of bark pieces and leaf litter to allow them to seek out dryer spots.

 

• Make sure you use a high-quality substrate (no coco coir!) such as our Premium Millipede Edible Substrate as this will be the main food component for your isopods, and provide crushed cuttlebone or eggshells for calcium, as well as a good quality protein source once a week for optimal health.

 

• We prefer to feed vegetables to our isopods to help deter fruit fly and fungus gnat infestations, but that’s just our choice! Like many invertebrates one of their favourites is cucumber which we provide in slices and replace once completely eaten, which is around once a week.

 

• We recommend not keeping any protein-hungry isopods with millipedes as they can sometimes nibble on them whilst moulting! 

• More in depth info on shipping and returns can be found on the shipping and T&Cs, and FAQ page

 

• Our shipping rates are determined by the total weight of your cart at checkout.

 

 

The shipping bands are:

 

• 0-1kg - £4.99

• 1-2kg - £5.99

• 2-10kg - £7.99

• 10kg+ - £9.99

 

• Live orders and dry goods will be posted every TUESDAY. We will contact you if anything changes due to bad weather or delays. 

 

• LIVE ORDERS- sent with Royal Mail Tracked 24 and usually arrive next day after dispatch 

 

• DRY GOODS & ENCLOSURES- sent with Royal Mail Tracked 48 and usually arrive 2 working days after dispatch. We will contact you regarding a dispatch day for enclosure orders.