Alpine marmot vs large tortoiseshell

Marmota marmota compared with Nymphalis polychloros

Key Differences

• Alpine marmot is Least Concern while large tortoiseshell is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alpine marmot	large tortoiseshell
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)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Marmota	Nymphalis
Species	Marmota marmota	Nymphalis polychloros

Evolutionary Relationship

Alpine marmot and large tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Alpine marmot

LC — Least Concern

large tortoiseshell

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alpine marmot	large tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine marmot

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Andorra, Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain.

large tortoiseshell

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 9 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (39 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Alpine marmot

The Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) is a species in the genus Marmota. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Distributed across Andorra, Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain.

large tortoiseshell

large tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇦🇩 Andorra 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇮🇹 Italy 🇪🇸 Spain