European polecat vs hedgehog

Mustela putorius compared with Erinaceus europaeus

Key Differences

• European polecat is Vulnerable while hedgehog is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European polecat	hedgehog
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Erinaceomorpha (Erinaceomorpha)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Erinaceidae
Genus	Mustela	Erinaceus
Species	Mustela putorius	Erinaceus europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

European polecat and hedgehog share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

European polecat

VU — Vulnerable

hedgehog

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European polecat	hedgehog
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

European polecat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (10 countries) and South America (Brazil, Colombia). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

hedgehog

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China, Japan), Europe (8 countries), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand).

European polecat

European polecat (Mustela putorius) 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.

hedgehog

hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 7 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden