Common Moonwort vs Noctule

Botrychium lunaria compared with Nyctalus noctula

Key Differences

• Common Moonwort is Endangered while Noctule is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Moonwort	Noctule
Kingdom	Plantae (식물)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (척삭동물)
Class	Polypodiopsida (고사리강)	Mammalia (포유류)
Order	Ophioglossales (고사리삼목)	Chiroptera (박쥐)
Family	Ophioglossaceae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Botrychium	Nyctalus
Species	Botrychium lunaria	Nyctalus noctula

Conservation Status

Common Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Noctule

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Moonwort	Noctule
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Moonwort

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Moonwort

Common Moonwort (<em>Botrychium lunaria</em>) is a small fern in the genus <em>Botrychium</em>, family Ophioglossaceae. It is distributed across Asia, Europe, and North America, with confirmed presence in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, as well as Taiwan and the United States. The species is typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies. Common Moonwort is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it faces significant conservation challenges across its range. Its distinctive frond is divided into two parts: a sterile fan-shaped leaf portion with rounded lobes resembling a crescent moon, and a fertile spike bearing spore-bearing structures. As a fern ally rather than a flowering plant, it reproduces via spores rather than seeds. The species is associated with stable, undisturbed habitats including ancient grasslands, upland heaths, and rocky slopes. Its sensitivity to habitat disturbance and changes in land management are thought to contribute to population declines. Specific biological measurements such as lifespan and dimensions are not documented in available records.

Noctule

Noctule(Nyctalus noctula, 큰보통박쥐)은 IUCN 적색목록에서 취약(VU)으로 분류된다. 야생에서 멸종 위기에 처할 높은 위험성을 지니며, 개체군이 감소하고 서식지 압력이 증가하고 있다.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden