European Ground Squirrel vs Willow Tarspot

Spermophilus citellus compared with Rhytisma salicinum

Key Differences

• European Ground Squirrel is Endangered while Willow Tarspot is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European Ground Squirrel	Willow Tarspot
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Leotiomycetes (Leotiomycetes)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rhytismatales (Rhytismatales)
Family	Sciuridae (Squirrels)	Rhytismataceae
Genus	Spermophilus	Rhytisma
Species	Spermophilus citellus	Rhytisma salicinum

Conservation Status

European Ground Squirrel

EN — Endangered

Willow Tarspot

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European Ground Squirrel	Willow Tarspot
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

European Ground Squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Ukraine. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Willow Tarspot

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.