Common Rough Woodlouse vs koala

Porcellio scaber compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• Common Rough Woodlouse is Least Concern while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Rough Woodlouse	koala
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (artrópode)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Malacostraca (Crustaceans)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Isopoda (Isópodos)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Porcellionidae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Porcellio	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Porcellio scaber	Phascolarctos cinereus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Common Rough Woodlouse

LC — Least Concern

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Rough Woodlouse	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic 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).

koala

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

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

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.

koala

Icônico marsupial do leste e sudeste da Austrália, os coalas pesam até 15 kg e passam até 22 horas diárias dormindo para conservar energia de sua dieta de folhas de eucalipto, com baixo teor calórico. Altamente especializados para processar os compostos tóxicos do eucalipto que matariam a maioria dos outros mamíferos, possuem microbiomas intestinais unicamente adaptados para a destoxificação. Classificado como Em Perigo em 2022, com populações dizimadas pela doença de clamídia, desmatamento e mudanças climáticas.