Eurasian water shrew vs False widow

Neomys fodiens compared with Steatoda bipunctata

Key Differences

• Eurasian water shrew is Endangered while False widow is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian water shrew	False widow
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Araneae (Araneae)
Family	Soricidae	Theridiidae
Genus	Neomys	Steatoda
Species	Neomys fodiens	Steatoda bipunctata

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian water shrew and False widow share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Eurasian water shrew

EN — Endangered

False widow

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian water shrew	False widow
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.

False widow

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Found across Europe (4 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden