Bamboo bear vs Common Rough Woodlouse

Ailuropoda melanoleuca compared with Porcellio scaber

Key Differences

• Bamboo bear is Vulnerable while Common Rough Woodlouse is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bamboo bear	Common Rough Woodlouse
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Malacostraca (Crustaceans)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Isopoda (Isopoda)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Porcellionidae
Genus	Ailuropoda (Giant Pandas)	Porcellio
Species	Ailuropoda melanoleuca	Porcellio scaber

Evolutionary Relationship

Bamboo bear and Common Rough Woodlouse share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Bamboo bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~1.9K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Common Rough Woodlouse

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bamboo bear	Common Rough Woodlouse
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	20 years	—
Average Length	1.5 m	—
Average Weight	100.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bamboo bear

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in China. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Rough Woodlouse

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and deserts and xeric shrublands within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (Japan, Sri Lanka), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

Bamboo bear

Iconic black-and-white bear of the mountain bamboo forests of central China, giant pandas can weigh up to 125 kg and spend up to 14 hours daily consuming bamboo, which comprises 99% of their diet despite belonging to the order Carnivora. Solitary and elusive, they have a pseudo-thumb for gripping bamboo stems. Downgraded from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2016 following successful conservation and breeding programs.

Common Rough Woodlouse

<em>Porcellio scaber</em>, the common rough woodlouse, is a terrestrial isopod crustacean in the family Porcellionidae. One of the most widespread and abundant woodlouse species in the world, it has established itself across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and numerous oceanic islands, including populations documented in Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Japan, and Norway. This synanthropic species typically inhabits decaying leaf litter, rotting wood, compost heaps, under stones, and in the soil of gardens, forests, and human-modified landscapes. It thrives in moist, sheltered microhabitats and shows some tolerance for drier conditions compared to related species. As a detritivore, the common rough woodlouse feeds primarily on decaying organic matter including leaf litter, rotting wood, fungi, and plant debris, playing a significant role in nutrient cycling and decomposition processes. The species reproduces sexually, with females brooding eggs and juveniles in a specialized brood pouch. Assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, its cosmopolitan distribution and high adaptability make it one of the most ecologically resilient terrestrial isopods. It is easily identified by its rough, grey to dark brown dorsal surface with pale lateral markings. Biological traits such as average lifespan and typical body length remain variable across populations and are not uniformly documented in standardized databases.