Northern elephant seal vs small tortoiseshell

Mirounga angustirostris compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Northern elephant seal is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Northern elephant seal	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Phocidae (True Seals)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Mirounga	Aglais
Species	Mirounga angustirostris	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Northern elephant seal and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Northern elephant seal

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Northern elephant seal	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Northern elephant seal

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.