Isopod Care: The Clean-Up Crew - Isopod Keeping, Breeding & Bioactive Habitat Secrets for All Terrar

Isopods are small invertebrates that belong to the order Isopoda, which is part of the class Malacostraca within the phylum Arthropoda. This class also includes more widely known aquatic animals such as crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. The defining features of isopods are their segmented bodies, exoskeleton, jointed legs, and specialized respiratory structures. Despite their distant relationship to insects, isopods are more closely aligned with crustaceans in form and function.
The word "isopod" derives from the Greek words iso (equal) and pous (foot), referencing their uniform limb structure. Every isopod possesses seven pairs of legs, each similar in size and function-an unusual trait among arthropods, many of which have specialized appendages. These legs, along with their low, flat bodies, make them efficient crawlers in confined spaces such as beneath rocks or within soil crevices.
Their body is typically divided into three main parts:
Head (cephalon): Bears a pair of compound eyes, two pairs of antennae (one typically reduced), and the mouthparts.
Thorax (pereon): Composed of seven segments, each with a pair of walking legs.
Abdomen (pleon): Houses the pleopods-respiratory structures that are crucial for gas exchange.
Terrestrial isopods, also known as oniscideans, are a subgroup that has adapted to life on land. Unlike aquatic species, which extract oxygen from water, terrestrial isopods utilize modified gill-like structures in the pleopods that function only in humid conditions. These structures do not allow the isopod to be fully independent from moisture, making humidity a critical environmental requirement.
Isopods come in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes. While some species like Porcellio scaber and Armadillidium vulgare are common across much of Europe and North America, others-such as the exotic "rubber ducky" (Cubaris sp.)-are endemic to limited regions and prized by hobbyists for their unique appearances.