European hare vs small skipper

Lepus europaeus compared with Thymelicus sylvestris

Key Differences

• European hare is Near Threatened while small skipper is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European hare	small skipper
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)	Hesperiidae
Genus	Lepus	Thymelicus
Species	Lepus europaeus	Thymelicus sylvestris

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

European hare

NT — Near Threatened

small skipper

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European hare	small skipper
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.

small skipper

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found across Europe (37 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable 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.

small skipper

small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 10 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇬🇷 Greece 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇷🇺 Russia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States