BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Isopods are great little clean up crews for those of you who keep dart frogs, newts, salamanders, anything amphibian or living in a naturalistic viv. They are quite expensive to buy, but very easy to raise your own. All you need is a shoebox plastic container, some humidity holding substrate (I just use old substrate from my reptile cages) and some cover pieces for them to hide under and some food. Carrots, greens, any vegetation will do. They eat anything. In your vivariums they will clean up leftover food, dead bugs, fecal matter..just about any garbage. They're nature's little composters. The ones shown here are descendants from those sold by bugs in cyberspace. They are giant canyon isopods. They're not insects at all, but land crustaceans more closely related to crabs. Isopods are just about everywhere, they can be easily field collected but I'd let them culture a while if you choose this route before introducing to your pets. They're quite prolific and give live birth. They will never bother anything living, just little scavengers.