A vivid orange color morph of the common rough woodlouse (Porcellio scaber), valued as a hardy, fast-breeding starter isopod and clean-up crew. Tolerant of a wide range of conditions and excellent for beginners.
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Medium; roughly 14-18 mm (0.6-0.7 in) at maturity.
Lifespan
2–3 years
Social needs
group
Native region
Native to Europe; now cosmopolitan and widely naturalized
Origin
Worldwide
Climate
🍂 Temperate
Family
Porcellionidae
Genus
Porcellio
Part of the Isopods
Terrestrial isopods (woodlice, pillbugs, sowbugs) are land crustaceans kept as bioactive clean-up crews and colorful display colonies. They are low-cost, low-maintenance detritivores ideal for beginners.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Bioactive tub
6 × 9 × 6 in bin, coco + leaf litter
Porcellio scaber 'Spanish orange' is a hardy starter morph. Coco-fibre + leaf litter substrate, cork bark, calcium, humidity gradient. Tolerant of a wide range of conditions and a great vivarium cleanup species.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Larger bioactive tub
12 × 12 × 6 in bin, leaf litter
A larger bin with deep substrate, leaf litter, multiple hides, and calcium. Breeds steadily; bright orange morph stands out in bioactive setups.
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Bioactive display vivarium
10–20 gal bioactive vivarium
A bioactive vivarium where they act as cleanup crew, with leaf litter, springtails, and stable humidity. Vivid orange colour shows beautifully against dark substrate.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg
These invertebrates lay eggs — often in a guarded clutch, a silk sac (spiders), or a brood (carried by female isopods). The eggs are small and soft and develop without a true larval or pupal transformation.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile
Juveniles hatch as miniature versions of the adult and grow by molting their exoskeleton (or, in snails, by enlarging the shell). They gain size, segments, or leg pairs and gradually take on adult coloration with each molt.
Adult
Adults reach full size and reproductive maturity with the species' mature form and coloration. Many arachnids and myriapods continue to molt as adults, and sexes can differ in size or in specialized appendages.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Natural
representative
Wild type
CommonBeginner
The standard grey-brown rough woodlouse coloration of natural Porcellio scaber, the wild ancestor of all the color lines.
Tip: The hardiest and most drought-tolerant form — ideal as a bioactive clean-up crew; just provide leaf litter, hardwood, and constant calcium and it will thrive at room temperature with little intervention.
Selectively bred (man-made)
representative
Spanish Orange
CommonBeginner
A selectively bred, uniformly bright-orange line of Porcellio scaber derived from Giant Orange stock; the vivid form sold under this trade name. Fast-breeding and hardy.
Tip: Keep calcium (cuttlebone/limestone) constantly available and a clear moist-to-dry gradient; cull any off-color or wild-type individuals each generation to keep the orange line vivid and prevent reversion.
representative
Dalmatian
UncommonBeginner
A white or orange base randomly speckled with dark spotting, like the dog it is named for. A fixed selective line within P. scaber.
Tip: Spotting expression varies wildly between individuals, so select and breed only the best-marked stock; otherwise care is identical to any scaber — easy, drier-tolerant, and forgiving for beginners.
representative
Orange Koi
UncommonBeginner
An orange-and-white patterned selective line resembling koi fish coloration, fixed within Porcellio scaber.
Tip: Lines can drift toward solid orange or solid white over generations — periodically cull both extremes and keep only crisply two-toned koi-patterned animals to maintain the look.
Habitat & enclosure
A 6 qt (5.7 L) to 32 qt (30 L) ventilated tub works well; cross-ventilate with holes on opposing sides. Provide a moisture gradient with one moist side and one drier side. Target 68-80 F (20-27 C) and 50-70% humidity. This species tolerates drier conditions better than tropical Cubaris and breeds readily at room temperature.
Substrate
1-3 in (2.5-7.5 cm) of coco coir or ABG-style mix amended with leaf litter, decaying hardwood, and crushed limestone for calcium. Top generously with leaf litter and add cork bark, bark slabs, and sphagnum moss for hides and humidity retention.
Equipment & setup
No heat or UVB needed at room temperature. Requires a ventilated container holding light humidity, a spray bottle, abundant leaf litter, and cork bark hides. Optional springtail co-culture controls mold.
Diet
Detritivore. Base the diet on leaf litter and decaying hardwood, plus a constant calcium source (cuttlebone, eggshell, limestone) which is important for this robust species. Provide regular protein (freeze-dried shrimp/minnows, fish flakes, dried insects) and vegetables such as carrot, zucchini, sweet potato, and cucumber. Remove uneaten wet food to prevent mold.
Behavior & temperament
Peaceful, non-defensive sowbug that cannot roll into a ball (it flattens or runs). Slower and more handleable than powder blues; tolerates gentle handling for short periods. Most active at night. Strictly a display and bioactive species with no risk to keepers, pets, or plants.
Health
Very hardy. Main risks are letting the enclosure dry out completely (causes die-off) and grain-mite or fungus-gnat blooms from overfeeding wet protein. Ensure ample calcium so molts complete cleanly; incomplete molts can occur in calcium-poor setups. Use pesticide-free leaf litter and substrate.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Maintain a clear moist-to-dry gradient and keep calcium available at all times for a high-output colony. This is one of the best beginner and feeder/cleanup species. The orange coloration is a fixed selectively-bred trait, so cull off-color individuals to keep the line vivid.
