Animal field guide
Common Rough Woodlouse
Porcellio scaber
The Damp-Shelter Recycler. Common Rough Woodlice live beneath logs, stones and leaf litter where moisture remains high enough for their terrestrial crustacean bodies. By consuming dead plant material they help return nutrients to the system from the ground up.
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Get AnimalDexCommon Rough Woodlouse at a glance
Animal · Native range keys: europe · Relatively common
Known for: Recognized in AnimalDex as Common Rough Woodlouse, Indexed profile #1985
Understand the animal
Understand the Common Rough Woodlouse
Factual biology first: what this animal is like, where it lives, how it survives, and why those traits exist.
01
Introduction to Common Rough Woodlouse
The Damp-Shelter Recycler. Common Rough Woodlice live beneath logs, stones and leaf litter where moisture remains high enough for their terrestrial crustacean bodies. By consuming dead plant material they help return nutrients to the system from the ground up.
How to identify a Common Rough Woodlouse
- Recognized in AnimalDex as Common Rough Woodlouse
- Indexed profile #1985
02
Adaptations and biological abilities
03
Why does Common Rough Woodlouse behave this way?
- Prioritize environments that support your needs.
04
Why Native range keys: europe. Common Rough Woodlice are native to Europe but have been introduced widely elsewhere. They favour cool?
Habitat: Native range keys: europe. Common Rough Woodlice are native to Europe but have been introduced widely elsewhere. They favour cool, damp terrestrial microhabitats beneath logs, stones, bark and leaf litter, as well as gardens, woodland floors, compost and human structures where moisture protects them from drying out.
Native range: Native range keys: europe. Common Rough Woodlice are native to Europe but have been introduced widely elsewhere. They favour cool, damp terrestrial microhabitats beneath logs, stones, bark and leaf litter, as well as gardens, woodland floors, compost and human structures where moisture protects them from drying out.
Native range
Natural range, not this specific capture location.
Native range keys: europe. Common Rough Woodlice are native to Europe but have been introduced widely elsewhere. They favour cool, damp terrestrial microhabitats beneath logs, stones, bark and leaf litter, as well as gardens, woodland floors, compost and human structures where moisture protects them from drying out.
05
Why this diet?
Common Rough Woodlouse eats the foods its body design and habitat make easiest to access. Diet can shift across seasons, life stages, and local competition.
- The most accessible prey or plant foods in its habitat
- Energy-rich foods that match its size and behavior
- Seasonal resources available in the local environment
A practical answer for Common Rough Woodlouse always depends on what food is actually available in native range keys: europe. common rough woodlice are native to europe but have been introduced widely elsewhere. they favour cool, damp terrestrial microhabitats beneath logs, stones, bark and leaf litter, as well as gardens, woodland floors, compost and human structures where moisture protects them from drying out..
06
Conservation and rarity
Rarity: Relatively common · 8/100. AnimalDex canonical rarity score: 8/100, maintained by the live indexed species profile.
- Observe from a respectful distance and avoid changing the animal's behavior.
- Do not block feeding, shelter, nesting, or travel routes.
- Use a live camera capture without handling or staging wildlife.
Ask AnimalDex
Ask AnimalDex about the Common Rough Woodlouse
Ask about its biology, behavior, abilities, survival strategy, symbolism, or what its strategy can teach you. Answers stay grounded in this species page.
Anonymous: 3/day. Signed-in: 10/day. Pro: 30/day fair use.
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Where to find them
Where to find Common Rough Woodlouse
To find Common Rough Woodlouse in the wild, focus on the exact habitat patches that match its body design and daily behavior, not just the broad country where it exists. You usually do better by working one good piece of habitat inside native range keys: europe. Common Rough Woodlice are native to Europe but have been introduced widely elsewhere. They favour cool, damp terrestrial microhabitats beneath logs, stones, bark and leaf litter, as well as gardens, woodland floors, compost and human structures where moisture protects them from drying out. than by covering too much ground.
- Forest edge, canopy gaps, fruiting trees, or shaded trails where cover and food meet
- Sunlit logs, exposed branches, warm rocks, or regular perch sites used for scanning
- Protected habitat blocks within native range keys: europe. Common Rough Woodlice are native to Europe but have been introduced widely elsewhere. They favour cool, damp terrestrial microhabitats beneath logs, stones, bark and leaf litter, as well as gardens, woodland floors, compost and human structures where moisture protects them from drying out.
Animal field guide
Common Rough Woodlouse
The Damp-Shelter Recycler. By consuming dead plant material they help return nutrients to the system from the ground up.
Native range
Natural range, not this capture location
Native range keys: europe. Common Rough Woodlice are native to Europe but have been introduced widely elsewhere. They favour cool, damp terrestrial microhabitats beneath logs, stones, bark and leaf litter, as well as gardens, woodland floors, compost and human structures where moisture protects them from drying out.
Search near meAnimalDex stats
Dominance
10
Speed
5
Size
4
Intelligence
15
Rarity
8%
Total
42
Size scale
Scientific name
Porcellio scaber
Category
Animal
Habitat
Native range keys: europe. Common Rough Woodlice are native to Europe but have been introduced widely elsewhere. They favour cool, damp terrestrial microhabitats beneath logs, stones, bark and leaf litter, as well as gardens, woodland floors, compost and human structures where moisture protects them from drying out.
Rarity
Relatively common · 8/100
Native range
Native range keys: europe. Common Rough Woodlice are native to Europe but have been introduced widely elsewhere. They favour cool, damp terrestrial microhabitats beneath logs, stones, bark and leaf litter, as well as gardens, woodland floors, compost and human structures where moisture protects them from drying out.
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