Etruscan Shrew vs small skipper

Suncus etruscus compared with Thymelicus sylvestris

Key Differences

• Etruscan Shrew is Least Concern while small skipper is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Etruscan Shrew	small skipper
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Soricidae	Hesperiidae
Genus	Suncus	Thymelicus
Species	Suncus etruscus	Thymelicus sylvestris

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Etruscan Shrew

LC — Least Concern

small skipper

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Etruscan Shrew	small skipper
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).

small skipper

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found across Europe (37 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable 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.

small skipper

small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) 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:

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