Castor bean tick vs Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel

Ixodes ricinus compared with Trogopterus xanthipes

Key Differences

• Castor bean tick is Not Evaluated while Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Castor bean tick	Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Arachnida (Arachnids)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Ixodida (Ixodida)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Ixodidae	Sciuridae (Squirrels)
Genus	Ixodes	Trogopterus
Species	Ixodes ricinus	Trogopterus xanthipes

Evolutionary Relationship

Castor bean tick and Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Castor bean tick

NE — Not Evaluated

Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Castor bean tick	Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Castor bean tick

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Found across Asia (Taiwan) and Europe (7 countries).

Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Castor bean tick

The Castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus) is a species in the genus Ixodes. Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel

<em>Trogopterus xanthipes</em>, the complex-toothed flying squirrel, is a medium-sized gliding rodent in the family Pteromyidae endemic to China, where it inhabits montane broadleaf and mixed forests at elevations typically between 1,000 and 2,700 metres in provinces including Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, and neighbouring regions. This species is the sole member of the genus Trogopterus and is distinguished by complex tooth morphology compared to other flying squirrels. Like all flying squirrels, it possesses a patagium — a gliding membrane stretching between fore and hind limbs — that enables it to glide between trees rather than undertake powered flight. The complex-toothed flying squirrel is nocturnal and arboreal, spending its days sheltering in tree hollows and foraging at night for leaves, bark, seeds, and fungi. Its faeces, known as Wuflingzhi, have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, leading to trapping pressure in parts of its range. The IUCN classifies this species as Near Threatened, reflecting population decline driven by overhunting for medicinal use and ongoing habitat loss from logging and agricultural encroachment in montane forests. Biological traits including average body mass, lifespan, litter size, and home range are partially documented but detailed population estimates are limited. Conservation measures include legal protections under Chinese wildlife law.