Eurasian water shrew vs Lesser White-toothed Shrew

Neomys fodiens compared with Crocidura suaveolens

Key Differences

• Eurasian water shrew is Endangered while Lesser White-toothed Shrew is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian water shrew	Lesser White-toothed Shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family same	Soricidae	Soricidae
Genus	Neomys	Crocidura
Species	Neomys fodiens	Crocidura suaveolens

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian water shrew and Lesser White-toothed Shrew share a common ancestor at the Family level: Soricidae.

Conservation Status

Eurasian water shrew

EN — Endangered

Lesser White-toothed Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian water shrew	Lesser White-toothed Shrew
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.

Lesser White-toothed Shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Asia (Cyprus) and Europe (9 countries).

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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia