Mountain Toad vs small tortoiseshell

Incilius cavifrons compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Mountain Toad is Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Mountain Toad	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Anura (Frogs & Toads)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Bufonidae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Incilius	Aglais
Species	Incilius cavifrons	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Mountain Toad

EN — Endangered

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Mountain Toad	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Mountain Toad

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in Mexico. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.