Gewöhnliche Melde vs Wasserspitzmaus

Atriplex patula compared with Neomys fodiens

Key Differences

Gewöhnliche Melde is Least Concern while Wasserspitzmaus is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Gewöhnliche Melde	Wasserspitzmaus
Kingdom	Plantae (Pflanzen)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Caryophyllales (Nelkenartige)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Amaranthaceae	Soricidae
Genus	Atriplex	Neomys
Species	Atriplex patula	Neomys fodiens

Conservation Status

Gewöhnliche Melde

LC — Least Concern

Wasserspitzmaus

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Gewöhnliche Melde	Wasserspitzmaus
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Gewöhnliche Melde

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Georgia), Europe (13 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Chile).

Wasserspitzmaus

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Gewöhnliche Melde

<em>Atriplex patula</em> is an annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae, distributed across Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, and Chile. It typically colonizes disturbed habitats, coastal areas, salt marshes, roadsides, agricultural fields, and waste ground, tolerating saline soils that many other species cannot withstand. The species is halophytic, possessing physiological adaptations for salt tolerance, including salt-excreting glands on its leaves. Its range extends across Georgia in Asia, thirteen European countries, and introduced populations in North America, Australia, and South America. Orache produces small, inconspicuous flowers and characteristic mealy-textured leaves. It is sometimes used as a leafy vegetable in traditional cuisine across parts of its native range. The IUCN lists this species as Least Concern given its widespread occurrence and adaptability to multiple habitat types. Biological traits including average lifespan, body measurements, and detailed dietary ecology remain poorly documented in standardized databases for this weedy annual species. <em>Atriplex patula</em> plays a functional role in stabilizing disturbed soils and contributing to coastal and ruderal plant communities across its broad distribution.

Wasserspitzmaus

Eurasian water shrew (Neomys fodiens) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.