Cool pet idea...

[taxidermynerd]

So I was watching a video on The Brain Scoop ( one of my favorite youtube channels!) about millipedes, and it made me think about roly polys... And then that got me thinking, it'd probably be really cool to have a colony of them!

So my curiosity was sparked, and I did a bit of googling. Apparently, all you need is some dirt (although I would imagine eco-earth/coco coir would work too, or maybe some ABG mix), some leaf litter, and a semi-moist environment. I could do that!

They eat fruits and veggies, and that's also how they gain moisture. Around here, once it gets warm they're all over, underneath rocks and stumps and stuff. Once it warms up, I'll be moving my fairy garden stuff out to the garden I'm planning, and that will leave my 10 gallon terrarium empty, so I could probably repurpose it!

Even if they don't live for long, my understanding is that they breed fast, so the population will stay up.

Sounds like a cool idea, right?

 

[taxidermynerd]

Update~

Looks like this plan is gonna go ahead! I have tons of the little guys in the yard right now. They're going to be in a 5 gallon, I think I'm gonna get the stuff today to paint the background (wipe down the outside with rubbing alcohol, then paint with acrylic paint). They'll be residing under the frog's tank.

 

[faislaq]

My friends and I used to keep a few and race them on my mom's welcome mat that had just the right size grooves in it.

 

[finchly]

My friends and I used to keep a few and race them on my mom's welcome mat that had just the right size grooves in it.

Karen!

 

[Jas]

Faster than a snail race I imagine

 

[taxidermynerd]

Saw some Good Boys outside, hiding under the hydrangea!

 

[nu2birds]

We used to call them "Pill Bugs" when we were kids.

 

[LilSprout]

Isopods are great pets! They're like a living compost bin for fruits and veggies, don't need a ton of space and are fascinating.
People often keep them in tanks with hermit crabs to help clean up poop and uneaten food

 

[taxidermynerd]

Isopods are great pets! They're like a living compost bin for fruits and veggies, don't need a ton of space and are fascinating.
People often keep them in tanks with hermit crabs to help clean up poop and uneaten food

I didn't know folks kept them with hermies! How cool!

I thought I had some eco-earth (coconut coir) but I don't, so I think I'll get some ABG mix, and I'll get some leaf litter while I'm at it. I need to buy another UVB bulb for the frog anyway, so I'll just get it at Josh's Frogs.

I found my cricket quencher from when I had crickets (most boring pet ever), I think I'll use that as a water source, and I found the tiny bowls I used with crickets.

Gonna paint the background soon... Yay! I love painting on glass, I did it for the frog and I love the way it looks, it's very professional and much nicer than one of those paper things.

 

[taxidermynerd]

I used aquarium silicone to attach plastic canvas to the tank hood (so we don't get any escapees!), so that's curing now, and I just started painting the background. I like to do really thin layers, and built it up. So yay! It's gonna be a nice matte dark greyish-brown.

 

[taxidermynerd]

The tank is up! It's gonna be under Fuzzgig's tank. He will have neighbors! I showed him the new digs, he didn't seem impressed. I let him climb on my legs and arms (he thinks he's a tree frog lol)

So now I'm just waiting on the ABG and leaf litter. Yay!

 

[Shezbug]

OMG, this has brought back memories for me! We used to capture these poor things from the garden when we were kids and make them match box homes so we could take them to school to play with. Lol one of my friends and I were told off by her mum for playing with these in the house and told to get them outside, we ended up racing them on the front door mat just like faislaq did!! Here in Australia lots of people call them either slater bugs or more commonly butchy boys. I saw one of these the other day and it occurred to me that we do not actually have many of them where I am living at the moment.
Hope you enjoy your new pets.

 

[taxidermynerd]

Last night I grabbed some stems from the hydrangea, the dead bits I trim off. It is dead plant matter, so I think they will like it.

 

[finchly]

OMG your picture #5!

Fuzzgig: Hey. Dude.

 

[taxidermynerd]

OMG your picture #5!

Fuzzgig: Hey. Dude.

He would like to know if he'll be allowed to eat the new neighbors. (The answer is NO!)

 

[Gazimon]

Roly poly toady is so adorable; I'm so jealous! What manner of kermit is he? Pacman?

 

[taxidermynerd]

Roly poly toady is so adorable; I'm so jealous! What manner of kermit is he? Pacman?

Yep! He's a good boy too! It'll be 2 years I've had him this coming July

 

[taxidermynerd]

Yayyy!!!

The Round Buddies are here!

I was too impatient to wait, so I threw some eco earth in the tank and went and got some little buds!

They're all over the hydrangea stems, they're having a great time! There are 5 in there right now.

The ABG mix and leaf litter get here later today.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I enjoy seeing these bugs in my garden. Love seeing big mama's with babies in their shells.

 

[finchly]

They have babies in their shell? Clearly I am not in the know about this.