Brown-backed Needletail vs Polynesian rat

Hirundapus giganteus compared with Rattus exulans

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown-backed Needletail	Polynesian rat
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Apodidae	Muridae (Mice & Rats)
Genus	Hirundapus	Rattus
Species	Hirundapus giganteus	Rattus exulans

Evolutionary Relationship

Brown-backed Needletail and Polynesian rat share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Brown-backed Needletail

LC — Least Concern

Polynesian rat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown-backed Needletail	Polynesian rat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown-backed Needletail

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Norway.

Polynesian rat

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (6 countries), Europe (United Kingdom), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (11 countries), and South America (Chile).

Brown-backed Needletail

The Brown-Backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus) is a species in the genus Hirundapus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.