Common palm civet vs small tortoiseshell

Paradoxurus hermaphroditus compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Common palm civet is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common palm civet	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Insecta (แมลง)
Order	Carnivora (สัตว์กินเนื้อ)	Lepidoptera (ผีเสื้อ)
Family	Viverridae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Paradoxurus	Aglais
Species	Paradoxurus hermaphroditus	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Common palm civet and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (สัตว์)

Conservation Status

Common palm civet

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common palm civet	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common palm civet

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.

Common palm civet

<em>Paradoxurus hermaphroditus</em> is a medium-sized viverrid mammal in the family Viverridae, distributed across South and Southeast Asia. The species inhabits a broad range of ecosystems, including tropical and subtropical forests, plantations, agricultural edges, and urban environments. It is primarily nocturnal and arboreal, foraging in tree canopies as well as on the ground. As an opportunistic omnivore, it typically consumes fruits, berries, small vertebrates, invertebrates, and occasionally birds' eggs, playing a role in seed dispersal for a variety of fruiting plant species. The common palm civet is famously associated with the production of kopi luwak, a specialty coffee made from beans that have passed through its digestive tract, raising ethical concerns about the captive keeping of wild civets for this industry. The IUCN currently assesses this species as Least Concern given its wide distribution and tolerance of modified habitats. No country-level distribution records are present in current datasets, though the species is broadly distributed across the Indo-Malayan realm. Biological traits including precise lifespan estimates, body measurements, and standardized dietary data remain poorly documented in comprehensive databases. Conservation pressures include hunting and the exotic pet trade.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.