Armadillo officinalis establish moderately quickly in a vivarium, and will act as janitors to keep the vivarium clean, as well as a snack that provides a natural calcium boost. These are known as the hissing Isopods, and they actually make an audible hiss sometimes when they are disturbed. These are native to Southern Europe, and have a few localities. 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. 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.
