Polynesian rat vs St. James' shell

Rattus exulans compared with Pecten maximus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Polynesian rat	St. James' shell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Pectinida (Pectinida)
Family	Muridae (Mice & Rats)	Pectinidae
Genus	Rattus	Pecten
Species	Rattus exulans	Pecten maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

Polynesian rat and St. James' shell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Polynesian rat

LC — Least Concern

St. James' shell

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Polynesian rat	St. James' shell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Polynesian rat

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (6 countries), Europe (United Kingdom), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (11 countries), and South America (Chile).

St. James' shell

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China), Europe (8 countries), and South America (Chile).

St. James' shell

St. James' shell (Pecten maximus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇱 Chile 🇬🇧 United Kingdom