large tortoiseshell vs Pallas's squirrel, Red-bellied tree squirrel

Nymphalis polychloros compared with Callosciurus erythraeus

Key Differences

• large tortoiseshell is Critically Endangered while Pallas's squirrel, Red-bellied tree squirrel is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	large tortoiseshell	Pallas's squirrel, Red-bellied tree squirrel
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Sciuridae (Squirrels)
Genus	Nymphalis	Callosciurus
Species	Nymphalis polychloros	Callosciurus erythraeus

Evolutionary Relationship

large tortoiseshell and Pallas's squirrel, Red-bellied tree squirrel share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

large tortoiseshell

CR — Critically Endangered

Pallas's squirrel, Red-bellied tree squirrel

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	large tortoiseshell	Pallas's squirrel, Red-bellied tree squirrel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Pallas's squirrel, Red-bellied tree squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China, Japan), Europe (8 countries), and South America (Argentina).

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 8 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇹 Italy 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom