Complex-leaved Dandelion vs Etruscan Shrew

Taraxacum subundulatum compared with Suncus etruscus

Key Differences

• Complex-leaved Dandelion is Not Evaluated while Etruscan Shrew is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Complex-leaved Dandelion	Etruscan Shrew
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Soricidae
Genus	Taraxacum	Suncus
Species	Taraxacum subundulatum	Suncus etruscus

Conservation Status

Complex-leaved Dandelion

NE — Not Evaluated

Etruscan Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Complex-leaved Dandelion	Etruscan Shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Complex-leaved Dandelion

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Etruscan Shrew

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found across Asia (Cyprus, Yemen) and Europe (6 countries).

Complex-leaved Dandelion

<em>Taraxacum subundulatum</em>, the complex-leaved dandelion, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae belonging to the extraordinarily diverse and taxonomically complex genus Taraxacum, which contains hundreds of microspecies primarily reproducing via apomixis — asexual seed production without fertilisation. This species has been documented from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, where it inhabits meadows, grasslands, roadsides, and disturbed ground typical of the Taraxacum genus across temperate Europe. Like other dandelions, it produces a basal rosette of typically lobed or undulate leaves, a hollow leafless scape, and a characteristic composite flower head of yellow ray florets that matures into the familiar globular seed head for wind dispersal. The species is Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List, consistent with the treatment of most Taraxacum microspecies, whose abundance and taxonomic complexity make formal threat assessments difficult. Dandelions generally tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions and are resilient to disturbance. The complex-leaved dandelion likely plays typical dandelion ecological roles as an early-season nectar source for pollinators including bees and hoverflies, and as food for specialist insects. Biological traits including average lifespan, population size, and detailed morphological dimensions specific to <em>Taraxacum subundulatum</em> remain poorly documented given the challenges of distinguishing microspecies within the aggregate.

Etruscan Shrew

Etruscan Shrew (Suncus etruscus) 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.