Cat vs small tortoiseshell

Felis catus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Cat is Not Evaluated while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cat	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	Felidae (Cats)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Felis (Small Cats)	Aglais
Species	Felis catus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Cat

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Stable →

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cat	small tortoiseshell
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	46 cm	—
Average Weight	4.5 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cat

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (7 countries), Europe (11 countries), North America (13 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (11 countries), and South America (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.

Cat

One of humanity's most successful domesticated companions, domestic cats are small, agile carnivores originating from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) domesticated approximately 10,000 years ago. With over 70 recognized breeds, cats retain strong predatory instincts and have colonized virtually every terrestrial environment on Earth. They are the world's most popular pet, with an estimated 600 million kept worldwide.

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 11 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom