common whorl snail vs Bely Medved

Vertigo pygmaea compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

• common whorl snail is Near Threatened while Bely Medved is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common whorl snail	Bely Medved
Kingdom same	Animalia (животные)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum	Mollusca (моллюски)	Chordata (хордовые)
Class	Gastropoda (брюхоногие)	Mammalia (млекопитающие)
Order	Stylommatophora (стебельчатоглазые)	Carnivora (хищные)
Family	Vertiginidae	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Vertigo	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Vertigo pygmaea	Ursus maritimus

Evolutionary Relationship

common whorl snail and Bely Medved share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (животные)

Conservation Status

common whorl snail

NT — Near Threatened

Bely Medved

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common whorl snail	Bely Medved
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	25 years
Average Length	—	2.4 m
Average Weight	—	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

common whorl snail

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Bely Medved

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

common whorl snail

<em>Vertigo pygmaea</em>, commonly known as the common whorl snail, is a minute land snail in the family Vertiginidae, listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, reflecting documented population declines attributable to habitat loss, agricultural intensification, and wetland drainage across its European and North American range. The species occurs across much of Europe and parts of the United States, typically inhabiting short-sward calcareous grasslands, chalk and limestone downlands, damp meadows, and the bases of grassy slopes where the vegetation structure is open and low-growing. <em>Vertigo pygmaea</em> is among the smallest terrestrial mollusks, with a shell typically measuring only 1.5–2 mm in height — a feature shared by all members of the genus Vertigo. Despite its tiny size, the shell is complex, with multiple internal tooth-like lamellae visible within the aperture that are used in species identification. The species typically feeds on decaying plant material, algae, and fungi associated with soil and leaf litter microhabitats. It requires specific microhabitat conditions including moderate soil moisture and an abundance of calcium for shell formation. Biological traits including average lifespan, precise shell dimensions, and mass remain poorly documented in standardized databases. Conservation efforts for <em>Vertigo pygmaea</em> typically focus on maintaining and restoring calcareous grassland habitats through appropriate grazing management regimes.

Bely Medved

The largest land carnivore on Earth, polar bears can exceed 700 kg and are found across Arctic sea ice from Canada to Russia. Highly specialized marine mammals that rely on sea ice to hunt ringed and bearded seals. Excellent swimmers capable of covering vast distances in open water. Listed as Vulnerable, with populations under severe pressure from rapid Arctic sea ice loss due to climate change.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway