European polecat vs marsh-elder

Mustela putorius compared with Iva annua

Key Differences

• European polecat is Vulnerable while marsh-elder is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European polecat	marsh-elder
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Mustela	Iva
Species	Mustela putorius	Iva annua

Conservation Status

European polecat

VU — Vulnerable

marsh-elder

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European polecat	marsh-elder
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.

marsh-elder

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, France, and Sweden.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇸🇪 Sweden