Buckelwal vs Scarce Swallowtail

Megaptera novaeangliae compared with Iphiclides podalirius

Key Differences

• Buckelwal is Vulnerable while Scarce Swallowtail is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Buckelwal	Scarce Swallowtail
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Artropoda)
Class	Mammalia (mamalia)	Insecta (serangga)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Papilionidae
Genus	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)	Iphiclides
Species	Megaptera novaeangliae	Iphiclides podalirius

Evolutionary Relationship

Buckelwal and Scarce Swallowtail share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (hewan)

Conservation Status

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Scarce Swallowtail

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Buckelwal	Scarce Swallowtail
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	50 years	—
Average Length	15.0 m	—
Average Weight	30.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Buckelwal

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Scarce Swallowtail

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (35 countries).

Buckelwal

Among the most acrobatic of the great whales, humpback whales are renowned for their complex, haunting songs sung by males during breeding season — some lasting hours and evolving over time. Reaching 16 meters and 30 tonnes, they undertake the longest migrations of any mammal. Found in all oceans, humpbacks feed on krill and small fish using cooperative bubble-net feeding. Populations have largely recovered from historic whaling.

Scarce Swallowtail

Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) is classified as Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List. Not yet evaluated against IUCN Red List criteria. Conservation status remains to be determined.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden