gray wolf vs small tortoiseshell

Canis lupus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• gray wolf is Critically Endangered while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	gray wolf	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Arthropoda (artrópode)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Insecta (inseto)
Order	Carnivora (carnívoros)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)	Aglais
Species	Canis lupus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

gray wolf and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	gray wolf	small tortoiseshell
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.

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

gray wolf

O lobo-cinzento (Canis lupus), o canídeo selvagem mais amplamente distribuído, ocorre da América do Norte à Eurásia em habitats diversos, incluindo tundra, florestas e pradarias. São animais altamente sociais que vivem em matilhas familiares lideradas por um casal reprodutor dominante. Como predadores-chave, os lobos regulam as populações de presas e moldam profundamente a estrutura do ecossistema, como demonstrou sua reintrodução em Yellowstone. Antes muito perseguidos, as populações estão se recuperando em muitas regiões.

small tortoiseshell

A borboleta-urtiga-pequena (Aglais urticae) esta classificada como Quase Ameacada (NT) na Lista Vermelha da UICN. Proxima de se qualificar como ameacada, com populacoes que podem se tornar vulneraveis sem acoes de conservacao.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden