Not furry either, still lovely.
Dairy Cow Isopod
Porcellio laevis
Also called Swift woodlouse, Smooth slater, Dairy cow panda isopod, Porcellio laevis 'Dairy Cow'
From A colour morph of Porcellio laevis. Sources differ on the species' original home: English Wikipedia suggests North Africa, German Wikipedia southern and western Europe. It is now found worldwide thanks to human transport.12
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Smooth, segmented exoskeleton
A large woodlouse with a notably smooth, un-bumpy back. The 'dairy cow' form is patched black and white like a Friesian cow; males have long, spear-shaped tail appendages.13
Personality what they are like
Harmless and busy. If disturbed it often freezes for a moment and then dashes for cover; it is one of the quicker woodlice and is also active in daylight.12
Daily activity how busy a day looks
An active forager that roams the substrate and leaf litter; give it room and plenty of hiding spots.12
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
No grooming. Keep part of the enclosure moist, as woodlice lose water easily, and remove mouldy leftovers.41
Home where they are happiest
A tub or terrarium with damp, organic-rich substrate, leaf litter and bark, similar to the compost heaps and old garden debris it lives in.34
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A detritivore: dead leaves, rotting wood, moss, lichen and other decaying plant matter, plus vegetable scraps.14
Company who they like around
The story where it all began
The species was described in 1804 and has spread around the world with people, turning up in gardens, stables and farms. Breeders developed striking colour forms such as dairy cow, white and orange, which made it a hobby favourite.13
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Males escape danger by running in alternating left-right turns, and get better at it with practice.1
- 2
Females carry eggs and babies in a fluid-filled pouch under the body.1
- 3
Woodlice moult in two halves, the back half first and the front a few days later.4
- 4
The name laevis means smooth, describing its sleek back.1
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy (via Wikipedia)
- Porcellio laevis was named by Pierre André Latreille in 1804. 'Dairy cow' is a hobby name for its black-and-white piebald form.1
- British Myriapod and Isopod Group
- Listed as Nationally Scarce in Britain, Least Concern on the IUCN scale.3
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Dairy Cow Isopod. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Humidity checkevery 2 days
- Water dishevery 2 days
- FeedingDepends on species, size and moult stagevaries
- Spot cleanRemove leftover foodevery week
- Moult noteLeave them in peace while moulting and note it in the diaryvaries
- Substrate changeevery 6 months
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Porcellio laevis - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for names, size, morphs, behaviour, diet, reproduction, history, captivity
- Porcellio laevis - German Wikipedia de.wikipedia.orgused for size range, origin, behaviour
- Porcellio laevis - British Myriapod and Isopod Group bmig.org.ukused for description, habitat, status
- Woodlouse - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for moisture needs, diet, moulting, keeping as pets
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.