Etruscan Shrew vs large tortoiseshell

Suncus etruscus compared with Nymphalis polychloros

Key Differences

• Etruscan Shrew is Least Concern while large tortoiseshell is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Etruscan Shrew	large tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Soricidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Suncus	Nymphalis
Species	Suncus etruscus	Nymphalis polychloros

Evolutionary Relationship

Etruscan Shrew and large tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Etruscan Shrew

LC — Least Concern

large tortoiseshell

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Etruscan Shrew	large tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Etruscan Shrew

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

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

large tortoiseshell

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 9 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (39 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

large tortoiseshell

large tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇫🇷 France 🇬🇷 Greece 🇮🇹 Italy 🇲🇹 Malta 🇷🇺 Russia 🇪🇸 Spain