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A gray isopod with a segmented body crawling on bark.
Photo: Pudding4brains, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Dairy Cow Isopod

Porcellio laevis

A black-and-white spotted pill bug relative that breaks down dead leaves and helps clean up soil.

🦀 Crustaceans
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About the Dairy Cow Isopod

Dairy cow isopods live in loose soil and compost all over the world. They are nocturnal detritivores that eat dead plant material. Isopods are crustaceans, related to crabs and shrimp.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Porcellio laevis[1]
Diet
Detritivore. Decaying plant matter.[1]
Habitat
Loose soil and compost.[1]
Where it lives
Worldwide.[1]
Group life
Nocturnal.[1]
Conservation status
Not evaluated by the IUCN.[1]

Fun facts

  • Isopods are crustaceans, related to crabs.[1]
  • Zoos use isopods as a cleanup crew in exhibits.[1]

Vocabulary

isopod
A small crustacean with a flat, segmented body, like a pill bug.
detritivore
An animal that eats dead plants and other decaying matter.
decompose
To rot and break down.
crustacean
An animal with a hard outer shell and jointed legs, such as a crab or shrimp.
nocturnal
Active mainly at night.

See it in person

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

  1. [1] Oakland Zoo. “Dairy Cow Isopod.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/dairy-cow-isopod/ (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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