European hare vs large tortoiseshell

Lepus europaeus compared with Nymphalis polychloros

Key Differences

• European hare is Near Threatened while large tortoiseshell is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European hare	large tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Lepus	Nymphalis
Species	Lepus europaeus	Nymphalis polychloros

Evolutionary Relationship

European hare and large tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

European hare

NT — Near Threatened

large tortoiseshell

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European hare	large tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic 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.

large tortoiseshell

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 9 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (39 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

large tortoiseshell

large tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 9 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇬🇷 Greece 🇮🇹 Italy 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden