# Common Rough Woodlouse (*porcellio scaber*) The Common Rough Woodlouse is a tiny creature that looks like a little armored bug! It loves to hide under rocks and in damp places, where it can scurry around safely. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 15 - **Habitat:** Common Rough Woodlice are often found in gardens, forests, and under logs or stones. - **Also known as:** Armored Bug, Common Pillbug, Rough Woodlouse, Wood Bug ![Common Rough Woodlouse](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Porcellio_scaber_%28AU%29-left_01.jpg&width=800) Photo: Yug, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Porcellio_scaber_%28AU%29-left_01.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Rough Woodlouse is a small, oval-shaped crustacean with a distinctly bumpy, greyish-brown segmented body. It has seven pairs of legs and two visible antennae, making its textured back different from smoother woodlice. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Malacostraca - **Order:** Isopoda - **Family:** Porcellionidae - **Genus:** Porcellio ## Interesting facts - Female woodlice carry their babies in a special pouch, just like a kangaroo! - They are crustaceans, related to crabs and lobsters, not insects! - They can survive for months without food if conditions are just right! - Woodlice drink water by sucking it up through their rear end, like a tiny straw! ## Special abilities - **Armored Back:** Common Rough Woodlouse has a tough, segmented exoskeleton that helps protect it from drying out and hungry predators. - **Chemical Defender:** Common Rough Woodlouse can release a foul-tasting liquid because it's stored in glands, deterring predators with a bad flavor. - **Moisture Magnet:** Common Rough Woodlouse can detect humidity changes because specialized sensors help them find damp, dark places to survive. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 1.7 cm - **Weight:** 0.1 g - **Lifespan:** 3 years - **Clutch Size:** 50 ## Diet & Feeding These tiny recyclers munch on decaying plants and fungi, helping to clean up the environment! - **Primary Foods:** decaying leaves, rotting wood, fungi, dead insects, algae - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Woodlouse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/woodlouse-spider) (*Dysdera crocata*) — This spider hunts woodlice specifically with its large fangs. - **Hunts:** Common Centipede (*Lithobius forficatus*) — A speedy predator that ambushes woodlice in damp places. - **Eaten by:** Common Toad (*Bufo bufo*) — An opportunistic amphibian predator that often dines on woodlice. - **Eaten by:** [Common Shrew](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-shrew) (*Sorex araneus*) — A small mammal that forages for invertebrates like woodlice. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [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. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## 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 Rough 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 Rough Woodlouse? 1.7 cm ### How much does Common Rough Woodlouse weigh? 0.1 g ### How long does Common Rough Woodlouse live? 3 years ### What does Common Rough Woodlouse eat? These tiny recyclers munch on decaying plants and fungi, helping to clean up the environment! ### Where is Common Rough Woodlouse usually found? Common Rough Woodlice are often found in gardens, forests, and under logs or stones. ### How does Common Rough Woodlouse hunt? Foraging ### How many eggs does Common Rough Woodlouse lay? 50 ## Where to spot - [Ames Nowell State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ames-nowell-state-park) — Massachusetts, US · State Park - [Coloma](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/coloma) — California, US · Neighborhood - [Davisville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/davisville-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Gloucester Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gloucester-downtown-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District - [Kentucky Horse Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kentucky-horse-park) — Kentucky, US · Nature Reserve - [Lower Cushman Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-cushman-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Common Rough Woodlouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-rough-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 Rough Woodlouse: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-rough-woodlouse)