brown bear vs small tortoiseshell

Ursus arctos compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• brown bear is Extinct while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brown bear	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Aglais
Species	Ursus arctos	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

brown bear and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

brown bear

EX — Extinct

Population: ~200.0K

Trend: Stable →

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brown bear	small tortoiseshell
Diet	Omnivore	—
Average Lifespan	25 years	—
Average Length	2.0 m	—
Average Weight	300.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

brown bear

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

brown bear

The world's most widely distributed bear species, brown bears range from North America and Europe across Russia to Japan, occupying forests, tundra, and alpine meadows. Adults can weigh up to 700 kg in coastal Alaskan populations. Omnivores that consume berries, roots, fish, and carrion, brown bears are a keystone species that distribute nutrients across landscapes. Most populations are stable, though some subspecies are threatened.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine