Sowbugs???
- Thread starter Sassy
- Start date
Tygerr
Avid Member
Sowbugs are similar to pillbugs.
Friederich and Volland, in their book "Breeding Food Animals" have this to say:
"Advantages:
- Woodlice and pillbugs require little upkeep
- Breeding is without risk as escaped animals dehydrate and die
- Especially suitable for nocturnal vivarium animals like frogs, toads and geckos
Disadvantages:
- Only moderately productive"
and they also mention:
"Not all animals will eat woodlice or pillbugs, but some absolutely love them"
and
"These animals require uniformly high humidity, but not wetness. Regular spraying of the leaf litter... is necessary"
(PS. It's a great book for anyone who keeps/breeds insects - lots of information about habitats and food for each species, as well as temps and conditions for breeding, and how to feed them off to your animals)
I've been keeping them for about 6 months now, and I have this to add:
- they're difficult to gutload. They generally only eat decaying vegetable matter - not your regular gutload fare.
- they do contain high calcium because they are crustaceans, not insects, but they can only achieve those levels of calcium if you supply them with a source of calcium to eat, like cuttlefish bone.
- because of the decaying plant matter, you're going to have a constantly damp container - almost like a compost heap. By using mostly leafy greens and carrots, I've found that it doesn't actually smell bad.
- as noted previously, they don't breed profusely, although if you leave them alone long enough, the populations do tend to grow without much upkeep or intervention.
Here are some pics of my sowbugs:
Friederich and Volland, in their book "Breeding Food Animals" have this to say:
"Advantages:
- Woodlice and pillbugs require little upkeep
- Breeding is without risk as escaped animals dehydrate and die
- Especially suitable for nocturnal vivarium animals like frogs, toads and geckos
Disadvantages:
- Only moderately productive"
and they also mention:
"Not all animals will eat woodlice or pillbugs, but some absolutely love them"
and
"These animals require uniformly high humidity, but not wetness. Regular spraying of the leaf litter... is necessary"
(PS. It's a great book for anyone who keeps/breeds insects - lots of information about habitats and food for each species, as well as temps and conditions for breeding, and how to feed them off to your animals)
I've been keeping them for about 6 months now, and I have this to add:
- they're difficult to gutload. They generally only eat decaying vegetable matter - not your regular gutload fare.
- they do contain high calcium because they are crustaceans, not insects, but they can only achieve those levels of calcium if you supply them with a source of calcium to eat, like cuttlefish bone.
- because of the decaying plant matter, you're going to have a constantly damp container - almost like a compost heap. By using mostly leafy greens and carrots, I've found that it doesn't actually smell bad.
- as noted previously, they don't breed profusely, although if you leave them alone long enough, the populations do tend to grow without much upkeep or intervention.
Here are some pics of my sowbugs:
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