Ferny Azolla vs Japanese Weasel

Azolla pinnata compared with Mustela itatsi

Key Differences

• Ferny Azolla is Least Concern while Japanese Weasel is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ferny Azolla	Japanese Weasel
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Salviniales (Salviniales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Salviniaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Azolla	Mustela
Species	Azolla pinnata	Mustela itatsi

Conservation Status

Ferny Azolla

LC — Least Concern

Japanese Weasel

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ferny Azolla	Japanese Weasel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ferny Azolla

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including deserts and xeric shrublands, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas spanning the Palearctic and Oceanian realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (4 countries), Asia (Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan), North America (Mexico, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Tuvalu).

Japanese Weasel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Japan. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.