Mexican cottontail vs small tortoiseshell

Sylvilagus cunicularius compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Mexican cottontail is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Mexican cottontail	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Sylvilagus	Aglais
Species	Sylvilagus cunicularius	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Mexican cottontail and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Mexican cottontail

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Mexican cottontail	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Mexican cottontail

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.