Eurasian badger vs hedgehog

Meles meles compared with Erinaceus europaeus

Key Differences

• Eurasian badger is Vulnerable while hedgehog is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian badger	hedgehog
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Erinaceomorpha (Erinaceomorpha)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Erinaceidae
Genus	Meles	Erinaceus
Species	Meles meles	Erinaceus europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Eurasian badger

VU — Vulnerable

hedgehog

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian badger	hedgehog
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.

hedgehog

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China, Japan), Europe (8 countries), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand).

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.

hedgehog

hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) 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 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden