small tortoiseshell vs Smooth hound

Aglais urticae compared with Triakis maculata

Key Differences

• small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened while Smooth hound is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	small tortoiseshell	Smooth hound
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
Family	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)	Triakidae
Genus	Aglais	Triakis
Species	Aglais urticae	Triakis maculata

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Smooth hound

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	small tortoiseshell	Smooth hound
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Smooth hound

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

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

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.