Alashan Ground Squirrel vs Western Thyme Plume

Spermophilus alashanicus compared with Merrifieldia tridactyla

Key Differences

• Alashan Ground Squirrel is Least Concern while Western Thyme Plume is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alashan Ground Squirrel	Western Thyme Plume
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Sciuridae (Squirrels)	Pterophoridae
Genus	Spermophilus	Merrifieldia
Species	Spermophilus alashanicus	Merrifieldia tridactyla

Evolutionary Relationship

Alashan Ground Squirrel and Western Thyme Plume share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Alashan Ground Squirrel

LC — Least Concern

Western Thyme Plume

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alashan Ground Squirrel	Western Thyme Plume
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alashan Ground Squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Western Thyme Plume

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate coniferous forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Asia (5 countries) and Europe (28 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Alashan Ground Squirrel

The Alashan Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus alashanicus) is a species in the genus Spermophilus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.