Common Darter vs Eurasian pygmy shrew

Sympetrum striolatum compared with Sorex minutus

Key Differences

• Common Darter is Least Concern while Eurasian pygmy shrew is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Darter	Eurasian pygmy shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Libellulidae	Soricidae
Genus	Sympetrum	Sorex
Species	Sympetrum striolatum	Sorex minutus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Darter and Eurasian pygmy shrew share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Darter

LC — Least Concern

Eurasian pygmy shrew

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Darter	Eurasian pygmy shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Darter

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Eurasian pygmy shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Darter

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Eurasian pygmy shrew

Eurasian pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden