Common Rough Woodlouse vs gray wolf

Porcellio scaber compared with Canis lupus

Key Differences

• Common Rough Woodlouse is Least Concern while gray wolf is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Rough Woodlouse	gray wolf
Kingdom same	Animalia (động vật)	Animalia (động vật)
Phylum	Arthropoda (động vật Chân khớp)	Chordata (động vật có dây sống)
Class	Malacostraca (Lớp Giáp mềm)	Mammalia (lớp Thú)
Order	Isopoda (Bộ Chân đều)	Carnivora (bộ Ăn thịt)
Family	Porcellionidae	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Porcellio	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)
Species	Porcellio scaber	Canis lupus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Rough Woodlouse and gray wolf share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (động vật)

Conservation Status

Common Rough Woodlouse

LC — Least Concern

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Rough Woodlouse	gray wolf
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	13 years
Average Length	—	1.6 m
Average Weight	—	45.0 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).

gray wolf

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered 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.

gray wolf

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇯🇵 Japan 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States