Arctic fox vs Merlin

Vulpes lagopus compared with Falco columbarius

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic fox	Merlin
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Falconiformes (Falconiformes)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Falconidae
Genus	Vulpes (Foxes)	Falco
Species	Vulpes lagopus	Falco columbarius

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic fox and Merlin share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Arctic fox

CR — Critically Endangered

Merlin

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic fox	Merlin
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.

Merlin

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

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.

Merlin

Merlin (Falco columbarius) 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