Dwarf nettle vs gray wolf

Urtica urens compared with Canis lupus

Key Differences

• Dwarf nettle is Vulnerable while gray wolf is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dwarf nettle	gray wolf
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rosales (Roses & Allies)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Urticaceae	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Urtica	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)
Species	Urtica urens	Canis lupus

Conservation Status

Dwarf nettle

VU — Vulnerable

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dwarf nettle	gray wolf
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	13 years
Average Length	—	1.6 m
Average Weight	—	45.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dwarf nettle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 12 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa), Asia (Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar), Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, Cuba, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (7 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

gray wolf

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

gray wolf

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 13 countries:

🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇴 Bolivia 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇨🇺 Cuba 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇯🇵 Japan 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States