Boxthorn vs Common Seal

Lycium shawii compared with Phoca vitulina

Key Differences

• Boxthorn is Least Concern while Common Seal is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Boxthorn	Common Seal
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Solanales (Solanales)	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)
Family	Solanaceae	Phocidae (True Seals)
Genus	Lycium	Phoca (Harbor Seals)
Species	Lycium shawii	Phoca vitulina

Conservation Status

Boxthorn

LC — Least Concern

Common Seal

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Boxthorn	Common Seal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	30 years
Average Length	—	1.7 m
Average Weight	—	80.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Boxthorn

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Common Seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Boxthorn

The Boxthorn (Lycium shawii) is a species in the genus Lycium. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Common Seal

The most widely distributed pinniped, harbor seals inhabit temperate and subarctic coastal waters of both the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Adults reach up to 130 kg and spend roughly equal time at sea hunting fish, squid, and crustaceans and hauling out on beaches or rocks to rest. Their large, expressive eyes are adapted for underwater vision in low light. Harbor seals are a critical food source for orcas, sharks, and polar bears.