Scientific name
Porcellio dilatatus
Porcellio dilatatus has a broad, dusty grey-brown silhouette and a rounded telson tip. These characters help separate it from P. scaber, often encountered in the same settings. [1]
Origin
The BMIG documents it particularly in stables, old manure heaps, compost and some greenhouses in Great Britain and Ireland. [1] The trade name Giant Canyon does not constitute a collection locality.
- Burrowable substrate
- Rounded telson
- Discreet colony
BMIG ecology; practice from a breeder’s colony. Divergent size and broad thermal range attributed, without artificial harmonisation.
At a glance
A broad silhouette and rounded telson tip help separate Porcellio dilatatus from P. scaber; a trade nickname is not enough [1].
| DOCUMENTED SIZE | Up to 15 mm BMIG; 20 mm reported in captivity by Exuvium [1][2]. |
|---|---|
| LIFESPAN | To be documented No supported individual lifespan in the selected sources. |
| LIFESTYLE | Burrowing Nocturnal and morning activity observed by Exuvium [2]. |
Adult size
The BMIG states up to 15 mm; Exuvium reports adults reaching 20 mm in captivity. Methods and populations are not specified comparably. [1][2]
Lifespan
Individual lifespan is not established by the selected documents; no numerical value is extrapolated.
Lifestyle
Exuvium describes an animal that readily burrows into soil and observes activity mainly at night or early in the morning. Low daytime surface presence can therefore limit counting. [2]
Housing
SETUP AND SHELTERS
Deep substrate — Exuvium uses 5–10 cm of substrate with leaves and decaying wood; commercial reference, not a validated minimum [2].
Exuvium suggests 5–10 cm of substrate, leaves and decaying wood, with a humid area and the rest less humid. This depth is a commercial reference intended to encourage burrowing. [2]
Care parameters
BREEDER REFERENCE
15–26 °C — Broad range stated by Exuvium, not biological limits [2].
Humidity
Localised zone — One humid area and the rest less humid in the culture described by Exuvium [2].
Temperature
15–26 °C stated by Exuvium; a broad range not validated as biological limits. [2] A practice value when attributed to a breeder; no universal safety threshold is inferred.
Humidity and ventilation
Localised humid zone; the guide does not justify complete desiccation. [2] Examine substrate beneath shelters and record the enclosure’s actual conditions.
Feeding
DIET AND CALCIUM
Leaves, decaying wood, plant and protein supplements, with a calcium source in Exuvium’s practice [2].
Scope of this profile
BMIG ecology; practice from a breeder’s colony. Divergent size and broad thermal range attributed, without artificial harmonisation.
Confirming the group’s name
The broad body and rounded telson tip are more useful than the nickname Giant Canyon. [1] A strain sold under that nickname still needs documenting with its supplier and full label. Keeping a reference photograph makes future sorting errors easier to detect; do not rename a colony solely from its captive growth.
Organising the substrate
Burrowing behaviour makes soil structure particularly important in the setup described by Exuvium. [2] Recording its composition, initial depth and watered zones allows changes to be compared without digging to find every animal. A photograph taken against the wall may sometimes show below-surface activity; it is an indicator, not an exhaustive inventory.
Food resources and calcium
Exuvium’s account suggests leaves, decaying wood, plant and protein supplements, with a calcium source. [2] The log’s value is recording additions actually made, then visible leftovers. Leaving a portion at the same check location simplifies this comparison. Observed supplement consumption must not distract from renewing the plant matter that makes up the habitat.
Humidity, temperature and observations
The commercial thermal range indicates neither an experimental optimum nor a danger threshold. [2] Measure at the enclosure’s location rather than inferring its temperature from the room thermostat. For moisture, always examine a comparable point beneath a shelter and record interventions. If the container or vents change, begin a new monitoring period to avoid comparing different setups as if they were identical.
Reproduction and young
The sources consulted do not establish a production rate. With a substrate-using species, the first visible small sizes do not necessarily correspond to the true start of reproduction. [2] Date observations and distinguish animals seen on the surface from those encountered during a transfer. Plan to sort removed materials to retain a record of individuals moved.
Risks of interpretation
Natural association with stables and compost does not make every manure a suitable substrate. [1] This profile does not recommend reproducing an uncharacterised field material. Likewise, a reputation for hardiness does not guarantee compatibility with a given terrarium. Useful monitoring remains concrete: intact closure, resources present, shelter condition and change history, without automatic diagnosis from a single observation.
Checklist
- Keep the group’s provenance and identification.
- Prepare resources and shelters before arrival.
- Define a simple check without regularly dismantling the environment.
Observations to record
- Manual intervention log
- Substrate and food condition
- Young, moults and deaths observed
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Sources
Document-based overview; not a substitute for veterinary advice.
- British Myriapod and Isopod Group — Porcellio dilatatus
Source accessed - Exuvium Isopods — Porcellio dilatatus, care and breeding colony
Source accessed