Etruscan Shrew vs least weasel

Suncus etruscus compared with Mustela nivalis

Key Differences

• Etruscan Shrew is Least Concern while least weasel is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Etruscan Shrew	least weasel
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Soricidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Suncus	Mustela
Species	Suncus etruscus	Mustela nivalis

Evolutionary Relationship

Etruscan Shrew and least weasel share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Etruscan Shrew

LC — Least Concern

least weasel

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Etruscan Shrew	least weasel
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).

least weasel

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Oceanian and Palearctic realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Sao Tome and Principe), Asia (Cyprus), Europe (11 countries), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

least weasel

least weasel (Mustela nivalis) 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 7 countries:

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