Armadillidium gestroi establish moderately slowly in a vivarium, and will act as janitors to keep the vivarium clean, as well as a snack that provides a natural calcium boost. They are very prized in the isopod hobby for their large stature (some over 2cm!) and yellow dots. They are native to France. They love hiding beneath leaf litter, bark slabs, and substrate. They are quite large as adults, but the younger ones are palatable and are eaten by amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles. Larger amphibians and reptiles will consume adults as well, but not poison dart frogs. These isopods have a hard, calcified body, and are prized for their rarity and their ornate spotted appearance. Usually, hobbyists do not keep them with predators, but rather as pets / trades in the isopod hobby. Our isopods are fed Iso-licious Isopod Food 1-2x a week, including our new wet mixes, supplemented with potatoes, squash, carrots, our leaf powder, and a cuttlebone. These isopods enjoy warm temperatures and an occasional misting, but do not do as well in an extremely wet environment. We allow space for a moderate moisture gradient, starting with one side of the enclosure having wet NZ sphagnum moss, the middle being moist and mostly covered with leaf litter and bark, and onto the opposite side being completely dry and covered only with leaf litter. This provides the needed space for isopods to osmoregulate to remain in homeostasis.
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