Scientific name
Porcellio silvestrii
Other names: Porcellio silvestrii · Porcellio silvestri
Porcellio silvestrii is recognised as a species separate from P. monticola. Its former subspecies classification explains some historical labels. Distribution data are strong, while accessible captive advice mainly comes from breeders and differs on several points. [1][2]
Origin
An Iberian species: Cifuentes compiles records from Castellón, Albacete, Barcelona, Cádiz, Lleida and Tarragona among others. ‘Southern Spain’, common in the trade, does not summarise these data. [2]
- Iberia
- Reported dimorphism
- Divergent captive sources
Natural-history or taxonomic sources distinguished from breeding accounts; captive limits explicit.
At a glance
Porcellio silvestrii is distinct from P. monticola. Commercial sources differ on its size and multiplication speed. [1][3][4]
| ADULT SIZE | Divergent sources 25 mm at Exuvium; 15 mm at MicroExotics. [3][4] |
|---|---|
| LIFESPAN | Not established No supported individual lifespan in the selected sources. |
| LIFESTYLE | Discreet in culture Males often orange, according to Exuvium. [3] |
Adult size
Up to 25 mm stated by Exuvium, versus 15 mm by MicroExotics; these commercial indications are not harmonised into a scientific range. [3][4]
Lifespan
No individual lifespan established through a cohort in the selected sources.
Lifestyle
Exuvium describes discreet animals, with bright orange adult males and grey or duller females. These are captive-reported characters, to be checked in each strain. [3]
Housing
ATTRIBUTED BREEDING PRACTICE
Litter and rotten wood — Localised humid zone and good ventilation in Exuvium’s method. [3]
Exuvium recommends decaying leaves, rotten white wood and a localised humid zone with good ventilation. Enclosure geometry and substrate determine the outcome of this practice. [3]
Care parameters
EXUVIUM · PRACTICE
14–26 °C — Commercial instruction, without comparative validation. [3]
MICROEXOTICS · PRACTICE
20–24 °C — Another commercial instruction; do not merge the ranges. [4]
Humidity
Localised humid zone — Commercial reference; no universal relative-humidity target adopted. [3]
Temperature
14–26 °C at Exuvium; 20–24 °C at MicroExotics [3][4] Two distinct commercial instructions, without a published comparative trial: neither is presented as a physiological limit.
Humidity
Localised humid zone [3] The percentage displayed by a seller is not adopted as a universal target; its measurement method is not specified.
Feeding
DIET AND CALCIUM
Decaying plant matter, supplements and calcium source, such as cuttlebone or limestone, in Exuvium’s practice; no measured dosage. [3]
Scope of this profile
Natural-history or taxonomic sources distinguished from breeding accounts; captive limits explicit.
Scientific name and colours
Historical synonyms include P. curvisetosus, P. perplexus and P. monticola silvestrii. [1] They help retrieve the bibliography, not count multiple species. A colour difference between adults may be informative, but does not replace examination of sexual structures. A commercial lineage name must remain distinct from the binomial name.
What Iberian data show
The localities compiled in 2021 include several Castellón municipalities and more scattered records. [2] This geographical diversity rules out choosing a captive climate solely from a landscape photograph or the word ‘Spanish’. A breeding locality constitutes wild provenance only if the chain of origin is documented.
Substrate, shelters and air circulation
Exuvium’s practice retains a humid area while requiring good ventilation. [3] The practical value is being able to observe where animals position themselves without making the whole substrate uniform. This profile provides no trial allowing a depth or minimum volume to be chosen; avoid presenting arbitrary dimensions as a demonstrated need.
Diet and calcium supply
The breeder combines decaying plant matter with supplements and a calcium source, for example cuttlebone or limestone. [3] This describes practice without measuring the share actually ingested or a necessary dose. To assess a change, compare background material availability before attributing every slowdown to a lack of protein.
Reproduction: sellers disagree
Exuvium describes rather slow multiplication and intermediate to high difficulty; MicroExotics, by contrast, reports rapid establishment and suitability for beginners. [3][4] These presentations are not comparable cohorts. No guaranteed time to the first young is adopted, and commercial maturity or lifespan figures do not become scientific references.
Daily monitoring and limits
For an established strain, observe shelters used, persistence of the humid zone, remaining plant matter and visible young. An entirely orange colony does not justify immediately concluding that it contains only males. Have identity confirmed if appearance or dynamics differ greatly from the original group, before changing several parameters at once.
French references: Porcellio silvestrii
Reference found in the following French catalogues: Isopodshop [5]; Isopods Mania [7]. Catalogue presence, including out-of-stock listings, does not measure sales.
Isopodshop suggests 18-24 °C for husbandry. This is a commercial reference, not a demonstrated safe range. [5]
Isopods Mania states 20-26°C. This commercial range does not demonstrate safety thresholds. [7]
Isopods Mania states 2cm in adulthood, without explaining the measurement method. [7]
These sellers’ figures remain separately attributed: combining them does not create a newly validated husbandry range.
Checklist
- Keep the Latin name and lineage label separate.
- Maintain an identifiable humid zone.
- Compare strain outcomes with the attributed advice.
Observations to record
- Provenance and colour variation
- Substrate, ventilation and actual measurements
- First young and colony development
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Sources
Document-based overview; not a substitute for veterinary advice.
- Schmalfuss — World catalog of terrestrial isopods : Porcellio silvestrii
Source accessed - Cifuentes (2021) — Contribución al conocimiento de los isópodos terrestres de la Comunidad Valenciana y de la Región de Murcia, España
Source accessed - Exuvium — Porcellio silvestrii, informations et élevage
Source accessed - MicroExotics — Porcellio silvestri, fiche commerciale
Source accessed - Porcellio silvestri — Isopodshop
Source accessed - World Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans database — Porcellio silvestrii
Source accessed - Porcellio silvestrii — Isopods Mania
Source accessed