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Dairy Cow Isopod
Other Inverts
Beginner
Porcellio laevis
Lifespan
About 2 years per isopod
Adult size
Body up to 2 cm
Temperament
Active, shy, harmless
Temperature
18–30°C
Humidity
50–80%
Vivarium
35 x 25 x 15 cm (ventilated tub, colony)
Wikipedia →
A woodlouse probably native to North Africa that is now found worldwide, including Britain, where it has been recorded for centuries in compost and dung heaps. 'Dairy Cow' is a black-and-white piebald form of this fast, smooth species of up to 2 cm; orange and white forms are also sold. Hardy, fast-breeding and fun to watch, it is the classic beginner isopod and doubles as a vivarium clean-up crew. It is completely harmless.
Care information is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice.
🔥 Heating
Room temperature of about 20-27 °C works well, and warmer conditions speed breeding. In a cold room a heat mat on part of one side wall, on a thermostat, is enough.
💡 Lighting
No lighting needed; isopods are nocturnal and hide by day.
🪨 Substrate
5-10 cm of coco fibre or soil mixed with leaf litter, rotting hardwood and some sphagnum moss, kept damp at one end and drier at the other.
🍽 Feeding
Leaf litter and rotting wood always available, plus vegetables (carrot, courgette, sweet potato) a few times a week. They need extra protein such as fish flakes or dried shrimp, and calcium from cuttlefish bone or eggshell; remove uneaten fresh food within 24 hours.
💧 Water
Mist or pour water onto the damp end every few days to keep it moist but not waterlogged; no water dish is needed.
🏠 Enrichment
Cork bark flats and leaf litter for hiding, over a moist-to-dry gradient.
🩺 Health Considerations
Die-offs usually come from drying out, stagnant waterlogged tubs with mould, or overcrowding. Without enough protein they may eat each other, especially moulting individuals.
🤲 Handling
Harmless and can be picked up gently, but they are fast and best observed. Not venomous.
⚖️ Legal Restrictions
No licence needed in the UK; the species has been recorded in Britain for centuries and is not CITES-listed or a GB invasive species of special concern.
📋 Additional Notes
'Dairy Cow' is a recessive piebald trait, so crossing with normal grey animals gives grey young; keep morphs in separate colonies. Individuals live around 2 years (vendor figure; most kept isopods live 1-5 years), but a colony keeps going as it breeds. Sometimes used as reptile feeders, but they can nibble shed or weak animals if short of protein.