Know your companions
Porcellio bolivari
Porcellio bolivari is a pale, broad and relatively flat Spanish isopod, often called the Skeleton Isopod. Its light plates and slender appendages are part of the species’ appeal. Keep its label distinct from other large pale Porcellio and named trade lines.
This sheet belongs to the matching Isopod King listing. Check its selected count and current availability before ordering; the care guide does not change the product's options or shipping terms.
Build the stronghold
A refuge beneath the leaves
Use a roomy enclosure with several stable cork shelters, leaf litter and suitable rotten hardwood in food-rich bedding. Make sure cover is available on both sides of the gradient. Avoid décor that can rock, shift or pin a long-legged animal.
Choose clean, pesticide-free materials and substrate without fertilizer or other chemical additives. Do not rely on plain coco fiber as the whole food supply. Secure ventilation openings against escapes, place the enclosure away from direct sun, and prepare it before the animals arrive.
Give them a choice
Two paths through the habitat
Keep the main surface comparatively dry with good air exchange, and maintain a smaller moist moss-and-substrate corner beneath cover. Water that corner without soaking the full enclosure. Never allow the refuge to dry completely while trying to reduce overall humidity.
Air humidity alone cannot tell you whether the substrate under a hide is suitable. Check the refuge gently, keep cover in place, and adjust watering to ventilation and room conditions. Small juveniles need nearby sheltered moisture too.
Stock the royal pantry
Provisions for a living colony
Maintain decaying leaves and wood, with calcium available continuously. Offer small protein portions alongside modest vegetable supplements and remove leftovers. Place food where it can be checked without dismantling the animals’ main refuge.
A suitable calcium source, such as cuttlebone, should remain accessible. Fresh and protein foods supplement the habitat's decaying plant material. Remove spoiled leftovers, reduce the next portion when food persists, and keep an eye on leaf cover as the colony grows.
Steady care, patient growth
Take up the colony watch
On arrival
Have the enclosure ready before opening the shipping container. Follow our arrival and acclimation guide, and give the colony a quiet place to settle.
During maintenance
Check moisture, leaf cover, leftovers and airflow. Observe a familiar shelter without overturning every hide. Record how long the damp corner lasts and any change in ventilation before adjusting water amounts.
Give pale or molting animals space and avoid peeling away old shell. Females carry developing young in a brood pouch; growth varies with age, conditions and the starting group. Do not expect a fixed breeding timetable. Never release captive isopods outdoors.
A role in the living habitat
Every companion has a place
Keep this specialized display species in its own controlled culture. A small Bolivari colony is not an appropriate general-purpose cleanup crew for a wet vivarium.
Continue removing excessive waste and checking the needs of every inhabitant. A cleanup crew supports routine care; it does not replace it.
Observe before you adjust
Read the signs along the trail
| What you notice | First checks |
|---|---|
| Refuge drying out | Inspect beneath the moss; restore moisture gradually without flooding. |
| Mold on fresh food | Remove leftovers and review portion size, water and airflow. |
| An overheated enclosure | Check sunlight and nearby heaters; protect the culture from heat. |
| Repeated losses | Record conditions and recent changes. Send clear photos to our keeper team. |
These are habitat checks, not diagnoses. If problems continue, ask Isopod King for help before making several large changes at once.
From the keeper’s camp
Questions along the journey
Should I mist the whole enclosure for a cave species?
No. A cave-associated origin does not mean every captive surface should be wet. Provide sheltered moisture locally and preserve airflow and drier cover elsewhere.
How often should I water?
Use the condition of the damp refuge as your guide. Ventilation, substrate depth and room conditions change how quickly it dries, so check it and water selectively instead of following one fixed schedule.
Where can I continue learning?
Explore moisture gradients, feeding essentials and your first 30 days in the Care Archives.
Find your colony
Begin your Bolivari colony story
Bolivari Isopods
Porcellio bolivari
See the product page for current counts, prices, stock and shipping options.
The keeper’s journal
Your colony’s ongoing story
Record how long the damp corner lasts and any change in ventilation before adjusting water amounts. A few short notes on watering, feeding, molts and enclosure changes help reveal patterns without constant disturbance.
- Keep a usable damp refuge.
- Replenish leaves, suitable wood and calcium.
- Remove spoiled supplements.
- Record changes and ask for help when needed.
Care guide reviewed October 25, 2026. Speak with the Isopod King keeper team →