Bitter Flax vs Flat-skulled Shrew

Linum catharticum compared with Sorex roboratus

Key Differences

• Bitter Flax is Endangered while Flat-skulled Shrew is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Flax	Flat-skulled Shrew
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Linaceae	Soricidae
Genus	Linum	Sorex
Species	Linum catharticum	Sorex roboratus

Conservation Status

Bitter Flax

EN — Endangered

Flat-skulled Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Flax	Flat-skulled Shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter Flax

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (7 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina, Chile). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Flat-skulled Shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Bitter Flax

The Bitter Flax (Linum catharticum) is a species in the genus Linum. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic