Woodlice Have Gills!

There are around 176 names for these little creatures, and they’re all correct and valid, so no arguing. That’s just how language works!

But whatever the name, these important animals are key to ecosystems around the world, helpfully recycling decaying material.

You might wonder what a Crab Museum is doing talking about woodlice, the reason is that the species groups are reasonably closely related in terms of life on Earth. Crabs and woodlice are both in the class called ‘Malacostra’ and they both breathe through gills, which must be kept moist at all times.

Humans have put woodlice in a smaller, sub-grouping called Isopoda, and these species can vary in size from 0.3mm up to a whopping 50cm.

These giant isopods live deep under the sea, so don’t worry, you’re unlikely to find one in your garden.

Woodlice are a food source for many animals, from foxes and hedgehogs to birds and form the basis of a shrew’s diet. In 2012, TV chef Hugh Fearnley Whitingstall cooked up some woodlouse fritters and remarked that they taste like shrimp.

Pictured is Armadillidium vulgare