Eurasian badger vs Eurasian water shrew

Meles meles compared with Neomys fodiens

Key Differences

• Eurasian badger is Vulnerable while Eurasian water shrew is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian badger	Eurasian water shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Soricidae
Genus	Meles	Neomys
Species	Meles meles	Neomys fodiens

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian badger and Eurasian water shrew share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Eurasian badger

VU — Vulnerable

Eurasian water shrew

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian badger	Eurasian water shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eurasian badger

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Eurasian water shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

Eurasian badger

Eurasian badger (Meles meles) 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.

Eurasian water shrew

Eurasian water shrew (Neomys fodiens) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden