Colombian Small-eared Shrew vs Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan

Cryptotis colombiana compared with Andigena hypoglauca

Key Differences

• Colombian Small-eared Shrew is Least Concern while Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Colombian Small-eared Shrew	Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class	Mammalia (memeliler)	Aves (kuş)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Piciformes (Ağaçkakansılar)
Family	Soricidae	Ramphastidae
Genus	Cryptotis	Andigena
Species	Cryptotis colombiana	Andigena hypoglauca

Evolutionary Relationship

Colombian Small-eared Shrew and Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Kordalılar)

Conservation Status

Colombian Small-eared Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Colombian Small-eared Shrew	Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Colombian Small-eared Shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Colombia.

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Colombian Small-eared Shrew

<em>Cryptotis colombiana</em>, the Colombian small-eared shrew, is a diminutive insectivorous mammal belonging to the family Soricidae, endemic to Colombia. This species typically inhabits montane environments, including humid cloud forests and high-altitude grasslands known locally as páramo, where it forages actively through leaf litter and soil for invertebrate prey. Small-eared shrews of the genus <em>Cryptotis</em> are characterised by their notably reduced external ears, high metabolic rates, and nearly constant activity cycles driven by the energetic demands of maintaining body temperature. <em>Cryptotis colombiana</em> is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, suggesting that its population is relatively stable within its Colombian range. Despite this status, Andean shrews face ongoing pressures from land conversion, cattle grazing in páramo ecosystems, and climate-driven shifts in vegetation zones. The species contributes to soil aeration and invertebrate population regulation within its montane habitat. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan

Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan (Andigena hypoglauca) 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia