Cubaris Sp. Tapir

Cubaris Sp. Tapir is technically a Panda King. Just a unique rare color morph that is missing the front black section. They do retain their cute black faces, but that aside they are the same exact isopod with the same care needs as the traditional Panda King and it's many other variants. Tapir isopods are ideal for beginners or keepers with some experience working with more common and less sensitive isopods. A 6 quart gasket sealed storage bin or small glass aquarium is sufficient for a small starter culture. Standard or bioactive enclosures can be enhanced with natural botanical items to simulate the isopods habitat in the wild. This helps them feel secure which in turn promotes their natural processes like eating and breeding. Average room temperature will suit them just fine but keep in mind they are native to tropical to sub tropical areas so so do not let it get too cool. A good temperature range is 72-80F leaning more towards the warmer end if possible. Tapir do not need a pronounced moisture gradient like most other isopods. A small gradient is fine, but a consistent lightly damp (not wet) enclosure is ideal. They will not fare well if allowed to get any level of dry. A 75% humidity level without large deviations will give you fantastic results. A few pieces of cork bark strategically placed over different parts of the enclosure will help retain the humidity levels and reduce the frequency of watering needed to maintain a proper moisture gradient. Isopods are detritivores. Their primary diet in nature is leaf litter and decayed wood. Both of these should always be available in abundance. They will also happily consume any other decomposing organic plant or animal matter they come across. As such it is vital to supplement your isopods with other food sources on a semi regular basis. Tapir enjoy food options like squash, carrots, zucchini and other veggies along with commercial isopod powdered food like Repashy Morning Wood. They also tend to be protein hungry so offer them things like freeze dried minnows, shrimp, fish pellets, dried insects and other protein based food sources. Be sure to feed these on the drier side as they can spoil quickly in humid environments and attract unwanted pests. As with most any other Cubaris isopod, it is recommended to have some limestone in their enclosure. This mimics their natural cave environments and they do seem to enjoy it. This can be in the form of crushed pellets they can nibble or small light weight stones they can crawl on and hide under. In our experience either will work, but our pods seem to enjoy Texas holy rock. While this endearing cubaris isopod is not extremely difficult to keep, it still does require a bit more care than most common isopods like Armadillidium or Porcellio types. They're burrowers so do not expect to see them out and about during the day very much. They tend to scatter when disturbed and quickly hide. The best time to observe them is at night when they are naturally active and foraging for food. They are typically on the slow side to reproduce, but once established they will be fairly prolific on a regular basis. Quick Facts Origin: Various parts of Thailand and Vietnam Classification: Armadillidiidae > Cubaris > Cubaris Sp. > Tapir Average Size: 1/2" to 3/4" inch Activity level: Minimal. They're nocturnal and tend to stay burrowed throughout the day. Care Level: Intermediate