Eurasian water shrew vs Window Gnat

Neomys fodiens compared with Sylvicola fenestralis

Key Differences

• Eurasian water shrew is Endangered while Window Gnat is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian water shrew	Window Gnat
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Diptera (Diptera)
Family	Soricidae	Anisopodidae
Genus	Neomys	Sylvicola
Species	Neomys fodiens	Sylvicola fenestralis

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Eurasian water shrew

EN — Endangered

Window Gnat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian water shrew	Window Gnat
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.

Window Gnat

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and 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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden