Blind Small-eared Shrew vs Gray-chinned Hermit

Cryptotis niausa compared with Phaethornis griseogularis

Key Differences

• Blind Small-eared Shrew is Data Deficient while Gray-chinned Hermit is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blind Small-eared Shrew	Gray-chinned Hermit
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Soricidae	Trochilidae
Genus	Cryptotis	Phaethornis
Species	Cryptotis niausa	Phaethornis griseogularis

Evolutionary Relationship

Blind Small-eared Shrew and Gray-chinned Hermit share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Blind Small-eared Shrew

DD — Data Deficient

Gray-chinned Hermit

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blind Small-eared Shrew	Gray-chinned Hermit
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blind Small-eared Shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador.

Gray-chinned Hermit

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Blind Small-eared Shrew

The Blind Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis niausa) is a species in the genus Cryptotis. It is currently classified as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Gray-chinned Hermit

A small, inconspicuous hermit hummingbird of dry and humid forests in the Andes from Colombia to Bolivia, gray-chinned hermits have brownish upper parts, grey chin, and pale buff underparts with a white-tipped central tail — a subtle palette compared to many hummingbirds. They inhabit forest understorey and shrubby forest edge at elevations of 300–1,600 meters, following systematic trap-line routes to visit flowering plants. Males gather at leks to attract females through persistent vocalization.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador