Eurasian badger vs Northern Dart

Meles meles compared with Xestia alpicola

Key Differences

• Eurasian badger is Vulnerable while Northern Dart is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian badger	Northern Dart
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Noctuidae
Genus	Meles	Xestia
Species	Meles meles	Xestia alpicola

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian badger and Northern Dart share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Eurasian badger

VU — Vulnerable

Northern Dart

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian badger	Northern Dart
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.

Northern Dart

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. 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:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden