European polecat vs Umbilicate Hedgehog

Mustela putorius compared with Hydnum umbilicatum

Key Differences

• European polecat is Vulnerable while Umbilicate Hedgehog is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European polecat	Umbilicate Hedgehog
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Cantharellales (Cantharellales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Hydnaceae
Genus	Mustela	Hydnum
Species	Mustela putorius	Hydnum umbilicatum

Conservation Status

European polecat

VU — Vulnerable

Umbilicate Hedgehog

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European polecat	Umbilicate 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.

Umbilicate Hedgehog

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden