Porcellio scaber 'Whiteout' Isopods for Sale

Porcellio scaber 'Whiteout' is one of the most attractive pale morphs of the common rough woodlouse — a clean, ghostly, captive-bred colour variant with a genuinely distinctive look. Unlike many "white" isopods, the Whiteout isn't a stark pure white: it shows a soft yellowish-white to cream body, finished with two properly eye-catching features — white eyes and a transparent "skirt" (the translucent outer margin that rims the body). Some individuals also show a subtly highlighted "V" marking on the back. The overall effect is a soft, pale, almost luminous woodlouse that stands out beautifully against dark naturalistic substrate — and it carries all the famous hardiness of the species underneath.

The Whiteout is a selectively-bred morph that doesn't occur in the wild — a hobby creation bred for that clean pale colouration, white eyes, and transparent skirt. Underneath the unusual looks, it's the same bulletproof Porcellio scaber that anchors the beginner end of the hobby: hardy, adaptable, prolific, and forgiving. As one keeper put it, the Whiteout doesn't differ from any other P. scaber in terms of care — so you get an eye-catching pale morph with genuinely easy husbandry.

It sits naturally within the large P. scaber morph family in your range — alongside the wild-type Scaber Mix, the warm Rust, and the contrasting Yin Yang. Like all Porcellio, the Whiteout is flat-bodied and cannot conglobate (roll into a ball) — it scurries and clamps rather than rolling.

Quick Care Summary

Please note: the care figures below use the well-established consensus for Porcellio scaber. Verify against the specific care icons on this product page before finalising your setup.

• Scientific Name: Porcellio scaber 'Whiteout'
• Common Names: Whiteout, White Out, Whiteout Rough Woodlouse
• Family: Porcellionidae
• Origin: Captive-bred morph (the species is native to Europe)
• Adult Size: Up to approximately 18 mm
• Lifespan: 2–3 years typical
• Difficulty: Easy — as forgiving as any common P. scaber; ideal for beginners
• Temperature: 18–26°C (room temperature works year-round)
• Humidity: 60–75% with a moisture gradient
• Ventilation: Medium to good — airflow important
• Conglobation: No — flat-bodied; scurries and clamps rather than rolling
• Appearance: Yellowish-white to cream body, white eyes, transparent skirt; sometimes a highlighted "V" on the back
• Behaviour: Active, social, visible; mostly nocturnal but visible in dim conditions
• Breeding: Very prolific once established
• Rarity: Uncommon — a newer, sought-after pale morph

What Makes Whiteout Isopods Special

Several factors make the Whiteout a properly worthwhile pale morph:

The yellowish-white body with white eyes. This is the headline. Rather than a flat pure white, the Whiteout shows a soft, warm-tinted yellowish-white to cream — and crucially, white eyes that complete the pale, ghostly look. It's a more refined, more cohesive pale morph than a simple bleached white, and the effect is genuinely striking.

The transparent skirt. The translucent outer margin rimming the body — the "skirt" — is a defining Whiteout feature. In good light it gives the isopod a delicate, almost luminous edge that sets it apart from other pale morphs. Some individuals also show a subtly highlighted "V" pattern on the back.

Bulletproof hardiness. Underneath the unusual looks, this is still P. scaber — the foundation beginner species precisely because it tolerates nearly anything. Temperature swings, humidity fluctuations, occasional missed feedings: it handles all of these better than most isopods. The Whiteout inherits every bit of that resilience.

A captive-bred hobby creation. The Whiteout doesn't exist in the wild — it's a selectively-bred morph developed for its pale colouration, white eyes, and transparent skirt. Keeping it means keeping a genuine product of the isopod-breeding hobby, and a pure colony breeds the look reliably.

Genuinely beginner-friendly. Because it's care-identical to the common rough woodlouse, the Whiteout is one of the easiest "fancy" morphs to keep — an attractive pale colony that forgives the usual learning-curve mistakes. A great first coloured isopod.

Prolific and visible. Once established, they breed reliably and steadily — colonies expand at a satisfying rate, and adults are active enough to be visible. Good display behaviour for a beginner-tier isopod, and the pale colour makes them especially easy to spot.

No conglobation — and that's fine. Like all Porcellio, the Whiteout is flat-bodied and doesn't roll into a ball. They scurry and clamp instead — different behaviour, equally interesting to watch.

How Whiteout Compares to Other Pale Morphs and P. scaber Morphs

If you're choosing between pale isopods or P. scaber morphs, here's how the Whiteout fits in:

• vs Scaber Mix: Same species. The Mix is a varied selection of P. scaber colour morphs (and may itself throw the occasional Whiteout-type individual); the Whiteout is the dedicated, fixed pale morph with white eyes and transparent skirt. Same care, a specific consistent look.
• vs P. scaber 'Rust': Both are P. scaber colour morphs. Rust is the warm reddish-brown morph; Whiteout is the pale yellowish-white morph. Opposite ends of the P. scaber palette, identical care — natural collection companions.
• vs P. scaber 'Yin Yang': Both are P. scaber morphs. Yin Yang is the black-and-white contrast morph; Whiteout is the soft all-over pale morph. Same species, different takes on light colouration.
• vs Snow White (P. laevis): A useful comparison, because both are pale. Snow White is a different species (the smooth-bodied Porcellio laevis) with a white albino look; Whiteout is the rough-bodied P. scaber with a yellowish-white body, white eyes, and transparent skirt. Different species, different textures, both pale and beginner-friendly.

Browse the full Porcellio collection to compare all species and morphs.

Setting Up the Enclosure

A 6–10 litre plastic container with a secure lid suits a starter colony, with larger setups as the colony grows. P. scaber is genuinely forgiving about enclosure choice — they thrive in standard plastic tubs with appropriate ventilation. The 3L Braplast tub works for small starter groups; this species genuinely fills more space as it breeds.

Drill ventilation holes on opposite sides for cross-ventilation, covered with fine mesh. Medium-to-good ventilation suits them. Provide plenty of hides — cork bark flats (their favourite, given their tendency to clamp flat against surfaces), leaf litter, and decaying wood. The pale yellowish-white colour shows particularly beautifully against dark naturalistic substrate. Browse our accessories collection for appropriate enclosures, vents, and other essentials.

Substrate

Use a moisture-retentive, calcium-rich substrate:

• Organic topsoil base (pesticide-free) as the foundation
• Sphagnum peat moss mixed throughout for moisture retention
• Crushed limestone or eggshells distributed throughout for calcium
• Flake soil mixed in for added nutrition
• Decaying hardwood pieces and rotting wood incorporated throughout
• A little forest moss for humidity and grazing

We recommend a topsoil and sphagnum-based mix rather than coco coir. Substrate depth: 5–8 cm for burrowing and security.

Top layer: Generous hardwood leaf litter — magnolia leaves, oak, and beech all work well — plus cork bark flats (essential for their preferred clamp-flat hiding behaviour) and decaying wood for cover.

Humidity and Temperature

Maintain moderate humidity (around 60–75%) with a clear moisture gradient — keep one side of the enclosure damp with sphagnum moss and damp leaf litter, while the rest stays drier with leaf litter and bark cover. Good airflow prevents stagnation. P. scaber handles humidity variation well, but the gradient still produces healthier, more visible colonies than uniform conditions.

As one PostPods customer noted about following the website's care guidance, getting moisture right is the key to keeping isopods successfully — and for Porcellio specifically, the gradient is more forgiving than fussy precision. When in doubt, the moist corner does the work.

Temperature should be 18–26°C — UK room temperature works year-round. They tolerate slightly wider variation and a slight night drop into the mid-teens mimics natural outdoor conditions. Avoid sustained extremes.

Diet

Whiteout isopods are unfussy detritivores with broad appetites:

• Primary diet (always available): Hardwood leaf litter (oak, beech, magnolia), decaying rotting wood, dried plant matter, lichen, mosses
• Vegetables (1–2x weekly): Carrot, courgette, sweet potato, squash, leafy greens. Replace within 24–48 hours.
• Fruit (occasionally): Small amounts of soft fruit
• Protein (1x weekly): Fish flakes, freeze-dried shrimp, dried daphnia. Beneficial for breeding females. Browse our accessories collection for the full range of protein supplements.
• Calcium (essential — always available): Cuttlefish bone, crushed limestone, oyster shell, eggshells. Important for healthy moulting — provide a constant source.

Feeding approach: Maintain a base of leaf litter and decaying wood, supplementing with vegetables, occasional fruit, weekly protein, and a constant calcium source. Remove uneaten fresh foods within 24–48 hours to prevent mould.

Breeding

Whiteout isopods breed very prolifically once established under stable conditions — building substantial colonies quickly. P. scaber is one of the most reliable breeders in the hobby, and the Whiteout is no exception.

Breeding basics:

• Females carry developing young in a marsupium (fluid-filled brood pouch) and release fully-formed live juveniles
• The marsupium contains fluid that protects developing young from desiccation
• Multiple broods throughout a female's lifetime
• The pale yellowish-white colouration, white eyes, and transparent skirt develop as juveniles mature through successive moults
• A pure Whiteout colony breeds the morph reliably, with some natural individual variation

For breeding success:

• Stable temperatures within range (20–24°C is ideal)
• A proper moisture gradient
• Adequate calcium for breeding females
• Regular protein supplementation
• Plenty of cork bark and leaf-litter hides
• A larger starter group establishes faster and provides genetic diversity

As a very prolific breeder, the Whiteout rewards keepers with strong, steady colony growth — and a settled colony of pale, white-eyed adults makes a properly distinctive display.

Pair With Springtails

Add a thriving springtail culture to any Whiteout setup. Springtails handle mould and microbial growth at a scale isopods can't manage — particularly useful around protein foods. They coexist peacefully with the Whiteout and form a helpful cleanup partnership.

Who Should Buy Whiteout Isopods?

Ideal for:

• Beginners wanting an attractive pale morph that forgives mistakes
• Keepers drawn to the soft yellowish-white look with white eyes and transparent skirt
• Bioactive setup builders needing hardy, reliable cleanup crews
• Hobbyists building a P. scaber morph cluster (Whiteout + Rust + Yin Yang + Mix)
• Reptile and amphibian keepers wanting active, prolific cleanup populations
• Display enthusiasts who want a pale colony that's easy to spot against dark substrate

Not ideal for:

• Keepers wanting an isopod that conglobates — Porcellio don't roll (try Magic Potion or other Armadillidium instead)
• Heavily-planted bioactive setups where plant-nibbling is a concern
• Those wanting a bold, high-contrast or vividly coloured morph (this is a soft pale look)

Realistic Expectations

It's yellowish-white, not pure white. Set expectations toward a soft, warm-tinted cream-white rather than a stark bleached white — the white eyes and transparent skirt are what define the morph, not a brilliant-white body. Individual variation is normal.

They don't conglobate. P. scaber is flat-bodied and doesn't roll into a ball. They scurry and clamp instead — interesting behaviour, just different from the famous pill bug roll.

They're properly easy. Care-identical to the common rough woodlouse — among the most forgiving isopods in the hobby. A sensible first coloured morph and a reliable bioactive worker.

Prolific colonies. Once established, expect substantial population growth — they're one of the most reliable breeders available.

It's a captive-bred morph. The Whiteout doesn't occur in the wild — it's a hobby-bred colour variant, so you're keeping a genuine product of selective breeding rather than a wild-collected animal.

Building Your Setup

A complete Whiteout setup needs a roomy enclosure, basic substrate components, abundant calcium, generous leaf litter and cork bark flats, and protein supplements. Browse our accessories collection for everything you need — enclosures, ventilation, leaf litter, calcium (cuttlebone, limestone, oyster shell), and protein supplements.

Browse the full Porcellio collection for more species and morphs — including the warm Rust and contrasting Yin Yang P. scaber morphs for a complete colour-morph set.