European pine marten vs Western Thyme Plume

Martes martes compared with Merrifieldia tridactyla

Key Differences

• European pine marten is Critically Endangered while Western Thyme Plume is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European pine marten	Western Thyme Plume
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)	Pterophoridae
Genus	Martes	Merrifieldia
Species	Martes martes	Merrifieldia tridactyla

Evolutionary Relationship

European pine marten and Western Thyme Plume share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

European pine marten

CR — Critically Endangered

Western Thyme Plume

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European pine marten	Western Thyme Plume
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.

Western Thyme Plume

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate coniferous forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Asia (5 countries) and Europe (28 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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 5 countries:

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