Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone know where I can find pillbugs and such? I don't have any running around the yard and I want to add to the snails, earthworms, feeder fish, and superworms I'm feeding for protein. I was feeding June bugs, but they've stopped coming around with regularity.

I'd rather not have to order over the Internet, so that's why I'm asking if anyone knows where to buy some other protein sources. Thanks everyone! Curtis

Pillbugs are not particularly nutritious; is there a reason you want them in particular? I could probably scrounge up a few dozen of them for you if you want to start a colony.

Just trying to offer as much variety as possible. Plus, with pillbugs, I can set them loose in the pen and it gives the boxies something to actively forage for. I think that's important, especially for my juvies to learn...

Pillbugs are a good source of calcium for the little ones.
I have enough rotting logs and other moist organic matter in the pen that pillbugs just turn up...I never thought about procuring them by some other means.

Me neither, they are all over the place in the pens this time of year, but now I'm thinking it might be nice to have a culture going for the early spring as a jumpstart. This time of the year there are lots of pillbug, earwig, centipedes, crickets and beatles in the pens that the boxies snake on between the feedings I offer.
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Jeff Benfer

1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus

Well of course you two pros both don't have a problem being that your pens are so established! My pen is only a month and a half old. I do have rotting logs, bark, and the like in the pens, so over time I expect to attract a lot of insects. I just wanted to get ahold of those insects now to jumpstart the process. I'm really surprised I haven't seen any pillbugs or centipedes or the like. We have TONS of snails and with all the trees in this backyard (15, after cutting two giant mulberries down this weekend, in an average city lot) it's beyond me why I don't naturally have them. There's leaf litter constantly under one tree or another and two areas in the yard that get no sun. Would seem like heaven to me if I was a pillbug. At least I have the snails.

try leaving damp cardboard around in a shaded area.
Put some leaf debris under and over the cardboard.
a damp gunny sack will bring all kinds of critters.

I have a "worm chalet" that grows worms year round for the turtles, but also fosters a plethora of other creepy crawlers.
There is always some larval form of one thing or another.
I use a foot-long pair of tweezers and an old plastic container and gather up a bunch of things every few days.

There is usually a resident chameleon in the laundry room where the hatchlings are housed. It does not take long to "train" them to jump down and grab a grub or worm.
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Patsy

The bugs in the area will find there way into the pen, maybe your box turtles are eating them.
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Jeff Benfer

1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus

Well, in my impatience, I was made to look foolish by Mother Nature.

We had a nice steady, long rain last night and the turtles were roaming around the pen all day as a result. Well, besides worms, snails, and beetles, I actually saw two pillbugs foraged. As soon as I saw them, I put them in the Easterns' pen (I found them in the 3-Toeds' in the leaf pile) and the smaller juvie scarfed it right up.

It's tough sometimes to just patiently let nature take its course, but its always better that way it seems.

Haha! Does that mean you don't want my Tennessee isopods?

I sent you an e-mail b/f I posted. Thanks for your offer, it was really nice of you. I hope I didn't waste your time.

OK, I got it, just hadn't checked my inbox.