Downy Truffle vs European polecat

Tuber puberulum compared with Mustela putorius

Key Differences

• Downy Truffle is Data Deficient while European polecat is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Downy Truffle	European polecat
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Pezizales (Pezizales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Tuberaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Tuber	Mustela
Species	Tuber puberulum	Mustela putorius

Conservation Status

Downy Truffle

DD — Data Deficient

European polecat

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Downy Truffle	European polecat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Downy Truffle

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, 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.

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 5 countries:

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