Eurasian badger vs mountain hare

Meles meles compared with Lepus timidus

Key Differences

• Eurasian badger is Vulnerable while mountain hare is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian badger	mountain hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Meles	Lepus
Species	Meles meles	Lepus timidus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Eurasian badger

VU — Vulnerable

mountain hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian badger	mountain hare
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.

mountain hare

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden