Oniscus asellus: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the oniscus asellus lives – recorded in 17 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Oniscus asellus
Group	Crabs, lobsters & shrimps
Found in	17 countries
Continents	Europe, North America
Class	Crustacean
Order	Isopoda
Family	Oniscidae

Where does the oniscus asellus live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the oniscus asellus in 17 countries and territories across Europe and North America. In France, Poland it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the oniscus asellus?

The oniscus asellus (Oniscus asellus) is a crustacean in the order Isopoda and the family Oniscidae, genus Oniscus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the oniscus asellus

Oniscus asellus, the common woodlouse, is one of the largest and most common species of woodlouse native to the British Isles and Western and Northern Europe, growing to 16 millimetres (0.63 in) long and 6 millimetres (0.24 in) wide. Oniscus asellus was first described by Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae, and is a very common species, representing in Britain "the archetypal 'woodlouse' familiar to the general public". It lives in a great variety of habitats, but favours damp conditions, especially under rotting wood. O. asellus is also a successfully synanthropic species, dwelling in gardens, walls, and inside houses.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Oniscus asellus (revision 1362134676), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1573371 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).