Porcellionides pruinosus 'Powder Orange' Isopods causing harm to chameleon?

[Kushcham]

Has anyone ever had powder orange isopods cause harm to their chameleon? I am currently working on growing out and establishing a bioactive enclosure. The enclosure will remain uninhabited until this ecosystem has become well established. But I have seen a few threads discussing how protein hungry and active they are. And now I am a bit concerned that they could potentially cause harm to a chameleon.

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[MissSkittles]

I‘ve had my bioactive enclosures set up for at least a couple of years with giant canyon, which are also porcellio and have had no issues other than my chameleons hunting and eating them. I had used powder oranges in my first bioactive set up which was for a leopard gecko. Unfortunately, the giant canyons out competed them and they were either assimilated or overcome. @jamest0o0 is still our Bug Lord and may know something.

 

[Kushcham]

I‘ve had my bioactive enclosures set up for at least a couple of years with giant canyon, which are also porcellio and have had no issues other than my chameleons hunting and eating them. I had used powder oranges in my first bioactive set up which was for a leopard gecko. Unfortunately, the giant canyons out competed them and they were either assimilated or overcome. @jamest0o0 is still our Bug Lord and may know something.

Well that is good to hear. I saw the threads with the pinky mice and was pretty shocked. Wondered if using my dairy cow colony would've been a better option. I was prepared to rip it all out and start over haha

 

[MissSkittles]

Well that is good to hear. I saw the threads with the pinky mice and was pretty shocked. Wondered if using my dairy cow colony would've been a better option. I was prepared to rip it all out and start over haha

I haven’t seen the threads with the pinky mice and think I’ll keep it that way. If they were showing isopods eating a dead pinkie, then yeah…that is what they do. They keep things clean and eat whatever detritus there is. Provide them a good layer of leaf litter and some other organic material and they’ll be happy. Every now and then I toss some veggie scraps or piece of bug burger in my enclosures just to make sure to keep my cuc happy.

 

[Kushcham]

I haven’t seen the threads with the pinky mice and think I’ll keep it that way. If they were showing isopods eating a dead pinkie, then yeah…that is what they do. They keep things clean and eat whatever detritus there is. Provide them a good layer of leaf litter and some other organic material and they’ll be happy. Every now and then I toss some veggie scraps or piece of bug burger in my enclosures just to make sure to keep my cuc happy.

Yeah that's exactly what I saw! I knew they liked protein but had no clue they were capable of that. But I suppose it makes more sense that they would be drawn to something dead and on the ground.

 

[snitz427]

Powder Orange isos are insane... they are crazy active, crazy fast, and reproduce very quickly. The little buttholes have invaded all my other isopod colonies, and eventually they out-compete the others for food. They are very hungry little guys. I did add some to the enclosures of chameleons that I know actively hunt isopods. I figure they'll keep numbers in check, and their activity makes it fun for the cham to hunt. They don't really leave the soil layer of my enclosures, but I probably would not put them in a smaller enclosure. I could see where they might be tempted to take a nibble on a grown dwelling animal if there were nothing else to eat... but in a bioactive enclosure, there should hopefully be plenty to go around... and so long as its not a small enclosure, there is plenty of room for them to run and climb w/o coming into contact with your chameleon.

I think Giant Canyons are hard to beat. Great CUC, active, decent reproduction w/o being swarmed with them... and they tend to climb around to clean the upper areas, now and then. Zebras are probably my favorite, but they do chew on my plants sometimes.

 

[snitz427]

Powder Orange isos are insane... they are crazy active, crazy fast, and reproduce very quickly. The little buttholes have invaded all my other isopod colonies, and eventually they out-compete the others for food. They are very hungry little guys. I did add some to the enclosures of chameleons that I know actively hunt isopods. I figure they'll keep numbers in check, and their activity makes it fun for the cham to hunt. They don't really leave the soil layer of my enclosures, but I probably would not put them in a smaller enclosure. I could see where they might be tempted to take a nibble on a grown dwelling animal if there were nothing else to eat... but in a bioactive enclosure, there should hopefully be plenty to go around... and so long as its not a small enclosure, there is plenty of room for them to run and climb w/o coming into contact with your chameleon.

I think Giant Canyons are hard to beat. Great CUC, active, decent reproduction w/o being swarmed with them... and they tend to climb around to clean the upper areas, now and then. Zebras are probably my favorite, but they do chew on my plants sometimes.

that was supposed to say "ground dwelling animal" not grown.... if an animal slept on the ground at night when they are most active, I doubt they'd touch it but I also wouldn't be completely surprised if they took a lil taste test. More than likely, they'd just eat the dead skin that didn't completely shed.

 

[Multivitamins]

Powder Orange isos are insane... they are crazy active, crazy fast, and reproduce very quickly. The little buttholes have invaded all my other isopod colonies, and eventually they out-compete the others for food. They are very hungry little guys. I did add some to the enclosures of chameleons that I know actively hunt isopods. I figure they'll keep numbers in check, and their activity makes it fun for the cham to hunt. They don't really leave the soil layer of my enclosures, but I probably would not put them in a smaller enclosure. I could see where they might be tempted to take a nibble on a grown dwelling animal if there were nothing else to eat... but in a bioactive enclosure, there should hopefully be plenty to go around... and so long as its not a small enclosure, there is plenty of room for them to run and climb w/o coming into contact with your chameleon.

I think Giant Canyons are hard to beat. Great CUC, active, decent reproduction w/o being swarmed with them... and they tend to climb around to clean the upper areas, now and then. Zebras are probably my favorite, but they do chew on my plants sometimes.

I've added giant canyons amongst others to my indoor and outdoor enclosure and am always thrilled when I see one of the big guys/gals roaming around the leaf litter. After reading thru this I think I'm going to make them a special batch of big burger to snack on