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Animal profile

Common Rough Woodlouse

Porcellio scaber

MalacostracaDamp terrestrial habitats: leaf litter, under logs and stones, compost heaps, walls and gardens

Field profile

The common rough woodlouse is a terrestrial isopod with a grey, textured back and seven pairs of legs. It feeds on decaying plant material and is an important decomposer in gardens and woodlands. Despite living on land, it retains crustacean anatomy and gill-derived breathing structures.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2026-07-17

Common Rough Woodlouse

The woodlouse is a crustacean breathing with gills

A woodlouse in a dry garden shed is a marine animal's descendant carrying its ocean anatomy on land. It breathes through gill-like structures on its underside, which is why it dies quickly in dry air and hides under damp wood by day.

Read with evidence →

Common Rough Woodlouse | Daily Animal Facts