Aratathomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat vs Basking shark

Sturnira aratathomasi compared with Rhincodon typus

Key Differences

• Aratathomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat is Near Threatened while Basking shark is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Aratathomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat	Basking shark
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)
Family	Phyllostomidae	Rhincodontidae (Whale Sharks)
Genus	Sturnira	Rhincodon (Whale Sharks)
Species	Sturnira aratathomasi	Rhincodon typus

Evolutionary Relationship

Aratathomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat and Basking shark share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Aratathomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat

NT — Near Threatened

Basking shark

EN — Endangered

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Aratathomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat	Basking shark
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	100 years
Average Length	—	12.0 m
Average Weight	—	20.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Aratathomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Basking shark

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Chile, Portugal, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Aratathomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat

The Aratathomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat (Sturnira aratathomasi) is a species in the genus Sturnira. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Basking shark

The world's largest fish, whale sharks can exceed 12 meters and 20 tonnes, inhabiting tropical and warm temperate oceans worldwide. Despite their massive size, they are harmless filter feeders, consuming plankton, fish eggs, and small fish by swimming open-mouthed through prey-dense water. They undertake vast seasonal migrations following plankton blooms. Endangered due to fishing, boat strikes, and the live fin trade, with population declining by approximately 50% over the past 75 years.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇻🇪 Venezuela