Etruscan Shrew vs Tiny Earthstar

Suncus etruscus compared with Geastrum minimum

Key Differences

• Etruscan Shrew is Least Concern while Tiny Earthstar is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Etruscan Shrew	Tiny Earthstar
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Geastrales (Geastrales)
Family	Soricidae	Geastraceae
Genus	Suncus	Geastrum
Species	Suncus etruscus	Geastrum minimum

Conservation Status

Etruscan Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Tiny Earthstar

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Etruscan Shrew	Tiny Earthstar
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).

Tiny Earthstar

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). 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.