Buff-tailed Mining Bee vs Colombian Small-eared Shrew

Andrena humilis compared with Cryptotis colombiana

Key Differences

• Buff-tailed Mining Bee is Extinct while Colombian Small-eared Shrew is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Buff-tailed Mining Bee	Colombian Small-eared Shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Andrenidae	Soricidae
Genus	Andrena	Cryptotis
Species	Andrena humilis	Cryptotis colombiana

Evolutionary Relationship

Buff-tailed Mining Bee and Colombian Small-eared Shrew share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Buff-tailed Mining Bee

EX — Extinct

Colombian Small-eared Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Buff-tailed Mining Bee	Colombian Small-eared Shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Buff-tailed Mining Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

Colombian Small-eared Shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Colombia.

Buff-tailed Mining Bee

The Buff-Tailed Mining Bee (Andrena humilis) is a species in the genus Andrena. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Colombian Small-eared Shrew

<em>Cryptotis colombiana</em>, the Colombian small-eared shrew, is a diminutive insectivorous mammal belonging to the family Soricidae, endemic to Colombia. This species typically inhabits montane environments, including humid cloud forests and high-altitude grasslands known locally as páramo, where it forages actively through leaf litter and soil for invertebrate prey. Small-eared shrews of the genus <em>Cryptotis</em> are characterised by their notably reduced external ears, high metabolic rates, and nearly constant activity cycles driven by the energetic demands of maintaining body temperature. <em>Cryptotis colombiana</em> is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, suggesting that its population is relatively stable within its Colombian range. Despite this status, Andean shrews face ongoing pressures from land conversion, cattle grazing in páramo ecosystems, and climate-driven shifts in vegetation zones. The species contributes to soil aeration and invertebrate population regulation within its montane habitat. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.