brown howler monkey vs Common Rough Woodlouse

Alouatta guariba compared with Porcellio scaber

Key Differences

  • brown howler monkey is Vulnerable while Common Rough Woodlouse is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank brown howler monkey Common Rough Woodlouse
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Chordata (Chordates) Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Mammalia (Mammals) Malacostraca (Crustaceans)
Order Primates (Primates) Isopoda (Isopoda)
Family Atelidae Porcellionidae
Genus Alouatta Porcellio
Species Alouatta guariba Porcellio scaber

Evolutionary Relationship

brown howler monkey and Common Rough Woodlouse share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

brown howler monkey

VU — Vulnerable

Common Rough Woodlouse

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute brown howler monkey Common Rough Woodlouse
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

brown howler monkey

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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).

brown howler monkey

The Brown Howler Monkey (Alouatta guariba) is a species in the genus Alouatta. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.

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