European pine marten vs flax dodder

Martes martes compared with Cuscuta epilinum

Key Differences

• European pine marten is Critically Endangered while flax dodder is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European pine marten	flax dodder
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Solanales (Solanales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Convolvulaceae
Genus	Martes	Cuscuta
Species	Martes martes	Cuscuta epilinum

Conservation Status

European pine marten

CR — Critically Endangered

flax dodder

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European pine marten	flax dodder
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

European pine marten

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and 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 Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

flax dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Congo (DRC)), Asia (5 countries), Europe (20 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Brazil).

European pine marten

European pine marten (Martes martes) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇮🇹 Italy 🇳🇴 Norway 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden