dooryard sowbug vs Eurasian pygmy shrew

Porcellio laevis compared with Sorex minutus

Key Differences

• dooryard sowbug is Least Concern while Eurasian pygmy shrew is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	dooryard sowbug	Eurasian pygmy shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Malacostraca (Crustaceans)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Isopoda (Isopoda)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Porcellionidae	Soricidae
Genus	Porcellio	Sorex
Species	Porcellio laevis	Sorex minutus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

dooryard sowbug

LC — Least Concern

Eurasian pygmy shrew

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	dooryard sowbug	Eurasian pygmy shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

dooryard sowbug

Habitat

Typically found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (Japan), Europe (12 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

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.

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 5 countries:

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