Eurasian water shrew vs European hare

Neomys fodiens compared with Lepus europaeus

Key Differences

• Eurasian water shrew is Endangered while European hare is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian water shrew	European hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Soricidae	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Neomys	Lepus
Species	Neomys fodiens	Lepus europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian water shrew and European hare share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Eurasian water shrew

EN — Endangered

European hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian water shrew	European hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eurasian water shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

European hare

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, among 7 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (10 countries), North America (4 countries), and South America (8 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Eurasian water shrew

Eurasian water shrew (Neomys fodiens) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

European hare

European hare (Lepus europaeus) 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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden