Least Moonwort vs Lesser Noctule

Botrychium simplex compared with Nyctalus leisleri

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Least Moonwort	Lesser Noctule
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Ophioglossaceae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Botrychium	Nyctalus
Species	Botrychium simplex	Nyctalus leisleri

Conservation Status

Least Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Lesser Noctule

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Least Moonwort	Lesser Noctule
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Least Moonwort

Habitat

Inhabits boreal forests and taiga within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (8 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Lesser Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Ukraine. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden