Eurasian water shrew vs Ruff

Neomys fodiens compared with Calidris pugnax

Key Differences

• Eurasian water shrew is Endangered while Ruff is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian water shrew	Ruff
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)
Family	Soricidae	Scolopacidae
Genus	Neomys	Calidris
Species	Neomys fodiens	Calidris pugnax

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian water shrew and Ruff share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Eurasian water shrew

EN — Endangered

Ruff

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian water shrew	Ruff
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.

Ruff

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Venezuela).

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.

Ruff

Ruff (Calidris pugnax) 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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