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This listing is for 10+ Porcellio Ornatus Witch's Brew Isopods. You will receive a mix of juveniles and adults. All orders are over packed 5% to 10% to compensate for any nominal losses in the shipping process.

Porcellio Ornatus Witch's Brew is a beautifully patterned isopod. The common name "Witch's Brew" is subtle nod to it's distant cousin the Armadillidium "Magic Potion" isopod seeing they have the same dalmatian patterning with orange to yellow spotting on a white translucent base. The coloring will not be as pronounced on younger individuals, but will start to show from the sub adult size and up. But set up and care for for the this species being a Porcellio is a bit different. Porcellio Ornatus is quite large for isopod and like most other larger Porcellio is more designed to thrive in a semi-arid environment. Though they do have some specific care needs they are by no means extremely difficult to keep so long as you consistently provide them the core essentials.

Porcellio Ornatus originates in Spain, but has established itself in other parts of the world with comparable habitats. Being larger in size this species does need a bit more room than most common isopod species. A 5-10 glass tank or 12qt gasket sealed sterilite bin is fine for a starter colony of 12-20 individuals. A sharp moisture gradient with good ventilation should be provided with no more than 25% of the enclosure being damp. This can create challenges with keeping the moist area from drying out. A deeper substrate in this area can help with this since deeper soil will retain moisture longer. Some concave cork hides covered in spaghnum moss on top of a deeper substrate makes this minimal work. Just be sure you never let it dry out as all isopods still require a damp area to hydrate and breathe. This flashy isopod will eat all of the typical food options like various vegetables, powdered isopod diets like Repashy Morning Wood or Bug Burger. But like most Porcellio, they are very fond of protein based foods like freeze dried minnows, shrimp pellets, fish flakes and dried insects. An isopods primary diet above all is decayed wood and dried leaf litter so be sure these are always available in abundance.

Porcellio Ornatus Witch's Brew is still somewhat rare in the hobby at this time and is a highly sought out specimen for it's desireable color markings and relative ease of care. It is not an extremely sensitive species, but will be prone to crash if the care guidelines go astray for too long. But if you give them what they need consistently, making fine tune adjustments where needed, they will flourish and breed readily.

Quick Facts

Origin: North East Spain
Classification: Porcellionidae > Porcellio > Ornatus
Characteristics: Variable dalmatian pattern. Large in size and girth. Voracious appetite. Very prolific once established.
Average Size: 1" inch
Activity: Active both day and night. More so at night.
Care Level: Intermediate

Species Specific Disclosures for Porcellio Ornatus Witch's Brew

The pictures in this listing show only a few specimens that represent the most accurate average visual traits. It is important to understand you are buying living things. They are not manufactured cloned merchandise. Just like all other living creatures, the same species and/or color morph of any isopod will have some amount of variation between individuals. We always pick specimens with the most similar matching characteristics as those depicted within our listings. But to picture every single difference in a given isopod type is unrealistic and virtually impossible since the amount of small differences can be quite variable.

The most notable variations for P. Ornatus Witch's Brew are as follows:

Base color ranges from off white to a medium yellow/orange. Usually a blend of both.

Placement and size of dark splotching varies with each specimen.

Coloration on smaller young individuals is largely muted, but the full colors will come with age.

Adult males are about 25% larger than females on average

If the isopod is about to molt when you receive it, it will have an opaque sheen to it until it sheds off in a handful of days.

Sizes will vary. We try to stick with juveniles to sub adults. Most isopods are relatively short lived (1-3 years average). A large adult is likely already at least half aged. Adult isopods to some degree do not ship well and have a higher morality rate compared to younger more adaptable individuals. If you have a specific size preference, you must contact us before ordering. We can accommodate any specific size request so long as the amount of said isopods are available.

General Shipping Information

We only ship Isopods Monday through Wednesday. If your order is placed Wednesday after 2PM EST through Sunday, the next possible shipping date would be the following Monday through Wednesday. Delivery addresses close enough to our location to facilitate one day delivery can also be shipped on Thursdays only when possible. Any holiday where the shipper may be closed will default your shipment to the next business day.

Please note depending on several factors such as our current order volume, weather, and how a particular live animal order needs to be boxed up for safe transport, the lead time can be 2-7 business days. Exceptionally larger orders may require more time to prep. We'll contact you to advise if needed. You'll receive a notification with tracking when the shipping label for your order has been generated. If you haven't received a shipping notification, that means your order hasn't shipped yet but it will soon as possible. Please be patient & know we are working on it. Packing live animals is an involved process and takes time. Every parcel is packed with care and all precautions taken to give your pods the best chance of making the journey alive and well.

If temperatures between origin and destination is forecast to be over 90°F, or below 40°F, we reserve the right to hold the order up to our max handling time of 2 business days if more favorable weather conditions look to prevail. We use heating and cooling elements as needed to ensure safety for the isopods. Please understand these items are useful for modestly chilly or warm weather, but they are not enough for extreme frigid cold or blazing hot mid summer temperatures. If weather is determined to cause more than a minimal delay or we cannot ship within our stated handling time we will contact you through the eBay message system first, then by the phone number provided if necessary. If we cannot establish communication within 1 business day or less we will send a refund as eBay has strict rules for sellers in regards to handling time.

We ship with UPS or US Postal Service. The shipping service used is solely at our discretion and is based on the variables of the shipment details. If you have a preference you must notify us before you order. We will do what we can to accommodate any specific requests.

Our shipping work flows are structured as to ensure your isopods have the smallest possible chance of sitting idle either on a weekend day(s) and/or holidays which can significantly increase the chance some or all may not make the journey. The shipping process is very stressful for the isopods (imagine it from their perspective), so the less time they spend in complete darkness getting tossed around, the better it is for all involved. If your order is time sensitive, please contact us before ordering providing the details far as how many and which types you want. We can then advise based on our current order volume if your need by date can be accommodated. We will make every effort to ship quick as possible, but the welfare of the animals will always come first.

Orders placed with LAG (Live Arrival Guarantee) General Information

LAG (Live Arrival Guarantee) only applies with "hold for pick up". This means you must physically go to either your local post office or UPS Store/UPS Access Point to retrieve the package. The exact location and details will be communicated prior to dispatch from our facility. Your reply confirmation to this message is required before we can release the package to the shipping carrier. Due to eBay's strict handling time requirements, if we do not receive your reply within 24-48 hours from the time the message was sent your order will end up being canceled. You will also need to furnish a photo ID when retrieving your package.

*Orders placed with LAG where your temperatures are forecast to be either below 40F or above 90F are not eligible for live arrival guarantee. Unless we receive clear communication from you prior to purchasing, these orders are subject to cancellation at our discretion. Please ensure you have checked your weather forecast before ordering. We utilize "Weather Underground" to assess the forecast at your location. This is the only accepted source for temperatures.

Hold for pick up shipments must be picked up within 24 hours of availability (preferably same day) or the LAG coverage is voided. Unclaimed packages returned to sender are non refundable.

Orders placed with hold for pick up are described as ALIVE and come with a guarantee long as temperatures at the receiving destination are between 40-90F. It is the safest and smartest way to receive your pods!

Orders placed without LAG (Live Arrival Guarantee) General Information

Orders placed as No Guarantee, are described as NOT ALIVE. These orders are solely at your own risk. Though we will of course still make every effort to ensure they make it, the easily avoidable pitfalls associated with door delivery are simply too high for us to cover.

In some cases when the weather is extreme hot or cold and/or your order value is on the high side, we may notify you that shipping with hold for pick up is required for the order to dispatch. We reserve the right to cancel any order in the event of extreme temperatures where door delivery is deemed to great a risk and hold for pick up is refused.

Hold for pick up is highly encouraged to minimize the chance of the animals perishing. Packages can sometimes sit on a hot or cold delivery vehicle all day before they get to your door step. Packages left outside exposed to the elements significantly elevates the risk factor. Regular sunlight even in fair weather conditions can quickly raise temperatures inside of a box to deadly levels for isopods in a short time period. Conversely, very cold temperatures can end your isopods in as little as 10-15 minutes. Other things like carrier misdelivery or package theft also become a concern with door delivery.

Claims process for DOA with LAG Coverage

All orders LAG or NO LAG coverage are over packed at least 5-10%. This is to compensate for any nominal losses in the shipping process. Over counts are not replaceable and simply serve as a cushion for the amount you actually paid for. Example- You buy a 12 count and we send 15 with 3 or less arriving DOA.

If there is an issue with DOA beyond the extras included you must contact us within 3 hours or less of the time stamp we can reference that shows when the order was picked up from the shipper. For the time being, please retain the shipping package and all expired pods. LAG coverage requires photographic documented evidence of your claim sent through eBay messaging.

For LAG coverage to be honored, you MUST send us clear pictures that show the expired pods in the manner described below.

Remove the expired animals and place them on their backs on a white or contrasting surface. Write your eBay user ID on a piece of paper and be sure it shows in the exact same photo(s) that display the expired pods. We must be able to easily and accurately verify the DOA count is as stated. Your user ID should be written in a way that is legible and easy to discern.

While not required, we highly encourage you to set up a video with your phone or other device that has a direct and clear view of the opening process from start to finish with no cuts or deviations from view. We use special security tape that will be evident if the box has or hasn't been opened at the time your video starts. Video is by far quicker and easier for us to verify any DOA claims, but it does NOT replace the previous steps outlined. It does however serve as a valuable reinforcement should there be any questionable aspects of the photos you provide as outlined above.

For any claims of shortages, please be aware we ship our pods on a thin layer of natural substrate combined with sphagnum moss, leaf litter and a few small decayed wood chunks. With some species the very young ones can be quite small and easy to miss. Depending on the color(s) of pods, they also might blend in and be very well camouflaged. We carefully take our time to count each and every pod ensuring your order has a 5-10% over count. Please take your time to slowly and carefully sift through the packing contents to identify each and every pod in the cup.

Why is all of this necessary for LAG coverage? We truly believe the bulk majority of all buyers are honest and forthcoming when it comes to issues with DOA or other related shipping situations under LAG coverage that end up problematic. Sadly though, with years of experience selling and shipping fragile small invertebrates online, there are always a handful of individuals who will make fraudulent claims. Live animals are completely different than general merchandise which can easily be boxed up and returned for verification without worry of weather or other factors that affect purchases of live animals. All in all we want you to be happy with your purchase and provide the best service possible. If you have any specific questions or uncertainties about our LAG policy coverage or procedures please kindly reach out so we can best assist you.