Least Moonwort vs Noctule

Botrychium simplex compared with Nyctalus noctula

Key Differences

• Least Moonwort is Endangered while Noctule is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Least Moonwort	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 noctula

Conservation Status

Least Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Noctule

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Least Moonwort	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.

Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Noctule

Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) 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 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden