small tortoiseshell vs snowshoe hare

Aglais urticae compared with Lepus americanus

Key Differences

• small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened while snowshoe hare is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

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

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

snowshoe hare

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	small tortoiseshell	snowshoe hare
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.

snowshoe hare

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States.

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.