European polecat vs mountain hare

Mustela putorius compared with Lepus timidus

Key Differences

• European polecat is Vulnerable while mountain hare is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European polecat	mountain hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Mustela	Lepus
Species	Mustela putorius	Lepus timidus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

European polecat

VU — Vulnerable

mountain hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European polecat	mountain hare
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.

mountain hare

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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 4 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine