common shrew vs Red Fox

Sorex araneus compared with Vulpes vulpes

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common shrew	Red Fox
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Soricidae	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Sorex	Vulpes (Foxes)
Species	Sorex araneus	Vulpes vulpes

Evolutionary Relationship

common shrew and Red Fox share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

common shrew

LC — Least Concern

Red Fox

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common shrew	Red Fox
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	5 years
Average Length	—	70 cm
Average Weight	—	6.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

common shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Red Fox

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus, Israel), Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina).

common shrew

<em>Sorex araneus</em>, the common shrew, is a small insectivorous mammal in the family Soricidae, order Eulipotyphla, widely distributed across Europe and portions of the United States and Russia. This species inhabits a broad range of terrestrial environments including woodland, grassland, scrubland, hedgerows, and suburban gardens, typically favoring areas with dense ground cover providing both shelter and hunting opportunities. <em>Sorex araneus</em> is among the smallest mammals, with an exceptionally high metabolic rate that necessitates nearly continuous feeding to survive — it must consume close to its own body weight in food each day. Its diet consists primarily of invertebrates including earthworms, beetles, spiders, and other small arthropods found in leaf litter and soil. The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with large and stable populations across its range. Biological traits for this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature in terms of precise standardized averages for lifespan, body length, and weight across populations, though it is known to be a short-lived species with typical wild lifespans of around one year, and is widely studied as a model organism in ecological and physiological research.

Red Fox

The most widespread wild carnivore on Earth, red foxes have colonized habitats from Arctic tundra to urban environments across the Northern Hemisphere and introduced ranges in Australia. Recognized by their russet coat, white belly, and bushy tail. Highly adaptable omnivores, red foxes eat everything from rabbits and voles to fruit and human refuse. They communicate with over 40 distinct vocalizations.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States