Cudbear vs European polecat

Ochrolechia tartarea compared with Mustela putorius

Key Differences

• Cudbear is Endangered while European polecat is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cudbear	European polecat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Pertusariales (Pertusariales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Ochrolechiaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Ochrolechia	Mustela
Species	Ochrolechia tartarea	Mustela putorius

Conservation Status

Cudbear

EN — Endangered

European polecat

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cudbear	European polecat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cudbear

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

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.

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 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden