Alpen-Smaragdlibelle vs Tschiru

Somatochlora alpestris compared with Pantholops hodgsonii

Key Differences

  • Alpen-Smaragdlibelle is Least Concern while Tschiru is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Alpen-Smaragdlibelle Tschiru
Kingdom same Animalia (Tier) Animalia (Tier)
Phylum Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer) Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class Insecta (Insekten) Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order Odonata (Libellen) Artiodactyla (Paarhufer)
Family Corduliidae Bovidae (Bovids)
Genus Somatochlora Pantholops
Species Somatochlora alpestris Pantholops hodgsonii

Evolutionary Relationship

Alpen-Smaragdlibelle and Tschiru share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Tier)

Conservation Status

Alpen-Smaragdlibelle

LC — Least Concern

Tschiru

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Alpen-Smaragdlibelle Tschiru
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpen-Smaragdlibelle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Tschiru

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Alpen-Smaragdlibelle

The Alpine Emerald (Somatochlora alpestris) is a species in the genus Somatochlora. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats. Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Tschiru

The Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii), also known as the Tibetan Antelope, is a bovid endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent high-altitude grasslands of China, with small populations in India. Males bear long, slender, nearly vertical horns that can exceed 70 centimetres in length, while females are hornless. The species is highly adapted to life at elevations of 3,700–5,500 metres, possessing a dense, fine underfur known as shahtoosh — one of the finest animal fibres in the world — which provided insulation against extreme cold but also made chiru a prime target for illegal poaching. Massive hunting pressure during the late twentieth century for shahtoosh shawl production devastated populations, which fell to as few as 75,000 individuals. Following intensified conservation efforts, trade bans, and anti-poaching patrols in China, numbers have partially recovered, though the species remains Near Threatened. Chiru are highly migratory; females undertake remarkable annual migrations of up to 300 kilometres to reach calving grounds in the Chang Tang plateau. Males typically remain at lower elevations year-round. They graze on grasses, sedges, and forbs, and face ongoing threats from climate change affecting high-altitude pasture productivity and from infrastructure development fragmenting migration corridors.

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