# Common Pill Woodlouse (*armadillidium vulgare*) The Common Pill Woodlouse is a tiny creature that can roll into a ball when scared! It loves to hide under rocks and leaves in damp places. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 105 - **Habitat:** They live in moist environments like gardens, forests, and under rocks. - **Also known as:** roly-poly, wood louse ![Common Pill Woodlouse](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Armadillidium_vulgare_001.jpg&width=800) Photo: Franco Folini, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Armadillidium_vulgare_001.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Pill Woodlouse is a small, oval-shaped crustacean, usually dark grey to brown, sometimes mottled. It has a distinctly segmented body and seven pairs of legs. Its smooth, rounded back allows it to roll into a perfect ball. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Malacostraca - **Order:** Isopoda - **Family:** Armadillidiidae - **Genus:** Armadillidium ## Interesting facts - A mother woodlouse carries her eggs in a pouch under her belly. - Their blood is actually blue, thanks to a special copper protein! - They drink water through tiny tubes on their bottoms! - They shed their old skin in two pieces, like a top and bottom half! ## Special abilities - **Armor Ball:** Common Pill Woodlouse can roll into a tight, impenetrable ball because of its segmented exoskeleton that helps them hide from danger. - **Recycle Master:** Common Pill Woodlouse can munch on dead leaves and decaying plants because of its specialized mouthparts that helps them recycle nutrients into the soil. - **Gills on Land:** Common Pill Woodlouse has gill-like structures on its underside that help them breathe by absorbing oxygen from moist air. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 1.5 cm - **Weight:** 0.2 g - **Lifespan:** 3 years ## Diet & Feeding They are nature's tiny recyclers, feasting on dead plants and decaying organic matter. - **Primary Foods:** Decaying leaves, Rotten wood, Fungi, Dead plant matter - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Woodlouse Hunter Spider (*Dysdera crocata*) — This spider has fangs adapted to pierce woodlouse armor. - **Eats:** Common Red Centipede (*Lithobius forficatus*) — Centipedes are speedy hunters that prey on many invertebrates. - **Eats:** [Common Blackbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-blackbird) (*Turdus merula*) — Birds often forage for woodlice in leaf litter and under logs. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Pill Woodlouse? Compare body symmetry, shells, segments, legs, tentacles and how the animal moves. Invertebrates span many unrelated groups, so start with body structure. Invertebrate Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Pill Woodlouse? 1.5 cm ### How much does Common Pill Woodlouse weigh? 0.2 g ### How long does Common Pill Woodlouse live? 3 years ### What does Common Pill Woodlouse eat? They are nature's tiny recyclers, feasting on dead plants and decaying organic matter. ### Where is Common Pill Woodlouse usually found? They live in moist environments like gardens, forests, and under rocks. ### How does Common Pill Woodlouse hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albemarle-and-chesapeake-canal) — Virginia, US · Historic Site - [Ambler Heights Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ambler-heights-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Anderson Japanese Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-japanese-gardens) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Anderson University](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-university) — South Carolina, US · Campus - [Audubon Place Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/audubon-place-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District [View all places to see Common Pill Woodlouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-pill-woodlouse) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Common Pill Woodlouse: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-pill-woodlouse)