Arctic fox vs hedgehog

Vulpes lagopus compared with Erinaceus europaeus

Key Differences

• Arctic fox is Critically Endangered while hedgehog is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic fox	hedgehog
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Erinaceomorpha (Erinaceomorpha)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Erinaceidae
Genus	Vulpes (Foxes)	Erinaceus
Species	Vulpes lagopus	Erinaceus europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic fox and hedgehog share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Arctic fox

CR — Critically Endangered

hedgehog

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic fox	hedgehog
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

hedgehog

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China, Japan), Europe (8 countries), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand).

Arctic fox

The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is a species in the genus Vulpes. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

hedgehog

hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden