American pygmy shrew vs Common corncockle

Sorex hoyi compared with Agrostemma githago

Key Differences

American pygmy shrew is Least Concern while Common corncockle is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	American pygmy shrew	Common corncockle
Kingdom	Animalia (動物)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索動物)	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)
Class	Mammalia (哺乳類)	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)
Order	Soricomorpha (トガリネズミ目)	Caryophyllales (ナデシコ目)
Family	Soricidae	Caryophyllaceae
Genus	Sorex	Agrostemma
Species	Sorex hoyi	Agrostemma githago

Conservation Status

American pygmy shrew

LC — Least Concern

Common corncockle

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	American pygmy shrew	Common corncockle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

American pygmy shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States.

Common corncockle

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Lesotho), Asia (7 countries), Europe (24 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Brazil, Chile). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

American pygmy shrew

The American pygmy shrew (Sorex hoyi) is a species in the genus Sorex. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common corncockle

<em>Agrostemma githago</em>, commonly known as common corncockle, is an annual flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. Once a widespread weed of cereal crops across Europe, Asia, and beyond, this species is now Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to the dramatic decline caused by modern agricultural practices, particularly improved grain cleaning and herbicide use. Corncockle is a tall, slender plant covered in silky white hairs, bearing large, solitary pink to purple flowers with distinctive dark veining. Its seeds contain toxic saponin compounds called githagins, which historically contaminated grain supplies. The species now survives primarily in wildflower conservation areas, seed banks, and traditional farmland conservation schemes. It typically grows in open, disturbed arable soils with full sun exposure. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.