gray wolf vs St. James' shell

Canis lupus compared with Pecten maximus

Key Differences

• gray wolf is Critically Endangered while St. James' shell is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	gray wolf	St. James' shell
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (Moluska)
Class	Mammalia (mamalia)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Pectinida (Pectinida)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Pectinidae
Genus	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)	Pecten
Species	Canis lupus	Pecten maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

gray wolf and St. James' shell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (hewan)

Conservation Status

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

St. James' shell

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	gray wolf	St. James' shell
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	13 years	—
Average Length	1.6 m	—
Average Weight	45.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

gray wolf

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

St. James' shell

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China), Europe (8 countries), and South America (Chile).

gray wolf

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

St. James' shell

St. James' shell (Pecten maximus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇱 Chile 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden