Bullhorned Dung Beetle vs gray wolf

Onthophagus taurus compared with Canis lupus

Key Differences

• Bullhorned Dung Beetle is Not Evaluated while gray wolf is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bullhorned Dung Beetle	gray wolf
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Scarabaeidae	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Onthophagus	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)
Species	Onthophagus taurus	Canis lupus

Evolutionary Relationship

Bullhorned Dung Beetle and gray wolf share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Bullhorned Dung Beetle

NE — Not Evaluated

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bullhorned Dung Beetle	gray wolf
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	13 years
Average Length	—	1.6 m
Average Weight	—	45.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bullhorned Dung Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and United States.

gray wolf

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Bullhorned Dung Beetle

The Bullhorned Dung Beetle (Onthophagus taurus) is a species in the genus Onthophagus. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

gray wolf

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States