Bitter Webcap vs European polecat

Cortinarius infractus compared with Mustela putorius

Key Differences

• Bitter Webcap is Least Concern while European polecat is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Webcap	European polecat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Cortinariaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Cortinarius	Mustela
Species	Cortinarius infractus	Mustela putorius

Conservation Status

Bitter Webcap

LC — Least Concern

European polecat

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Webcap	European polecat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter Webcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark and Sweden.

European polecat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (10 countries) and South America (Brazil, Colombia). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Bitter Webcap

The Bitter Webcap (Cortinarius infractus) is a species in the genus Cortinarius. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

European polecat

European polecat (Mustela putorius) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden