common vole vs Lesser Noctule

Microtus arvalis compared with Nyctalus leisleri

Key Differences

• common vole is Near Threatened while Lesser Noctule is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common vole	Lesser Noctule
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Cricetidae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Microtus	Nyctalus
Species	Microtus arvalis	Nyctalus leisleri

Evolutionary Relationship

common vole and Lesser Noctule share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

common vole

NT — Near Threatened

Lesser Noctule

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common vole	Lesser Noctule
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

common vole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Lesser Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Ukraine. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

common vole

common vole (Microtus arvalis) 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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden