Marley’s Golden Mole vs small tortoiseshell

Amblysomus marleyi compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Marley’s Golden Mole is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Marley’s Golden Mole	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Chrysochloridae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Amblysomus	Aglais
Species	Amblysomus marleyi	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Marley’s Golden Mole and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Marley’s Golden Mole

EN — Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Marley’s Golden Mole	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Marley’s Golden Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) 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.