Beira vs common shrew

Dorcatragus megalotis compared with Sorex araneus

Key Differences

• Beira is Vulnerable while common shrew is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Beira	common shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Bovidae (Bovids)	Soricidae
Genus	Dorcatragus	Sorex
Species	Dorcatragus megalotis	Sorex araneus

Evolutionary Relationship

Beira and common shrew share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Beira

VU — Vulnerable

common shrew

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Beira	common shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Beira

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

common shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Beira

The Beira (Dorcatragus megalotis) is a species in the genus Dorcatragus. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The species is documented in scientific literature under the name Dorcatragus megalotis.

common shrew

<em>Sorex araneus</em>, the common shrew, is a small insectivorous mammal in the family Soricidae, order Eulipotyphla, widely distributed across Europe and portions of the United States and Russia. This species inhabits a broad range of terrestrial environments including woodland, grassland, scrubland, hedgerows, and suburban gardens, typically favoring areas with dense ground cover providing both shelter and hunting opportunities. <em>Sorex araneus</em> is among the smallest mammals, with an exceptionally high metabolic rate that necessitates nearly continuous feeding to survive — it must consume close to its own body weight in food each day. Its diet consists primarily of invertebrates including earthworms, beetles, spiders, and other small arthropods found in leaf litter and soil. The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with large and stable populations across its range. Biological traits for this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature in terms of precise standardized averages for lifespan, body length, and weight across populations, though it is known to be a short-lived species with typical wild lifespans of around one year, and is widely studied as a model organism in ecological and physiological research.