Pillbugs leapt up the league table of favorite earthly life-forms on my honeymoon, spent at a friend’s ramshackle beach cabin in Myrtle Beach, which had an attached concrete-floored outdoor shower.

We brought our cat (we only had one cat back then! What a ludicrous notion that was!) with us rather than leave her all alone back home, and while she didn’t like the beach itself nearly as much as we thought she would (specifically: she hated and feared it), she discovered that the shower was home to numerous roly-polies who would helpfully curl up into tiny balls for her, allowing her hours of fun batting them from one side of the shower to the other. A good time was had by all, given that she confined herself to isopod football activities instead of, like, eating them, to the relief of all involved.

Given how little Tip had enjoyed the drive there, the woodlouse efforts at keeping her entertained during her stay were appreciated by us more than we can ever express.