Iltis, Waldiltis vs Mauswiesel

Mustela putorius compared with Mustela nivalis

Key Differences

• Iltis, Waldiltis is Vulnerable while Mauswiesel is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Iltis, Waldiltis	Mauswiesel
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order same	Carnivora (Raubtiere)	Carnivora (Raubtiere)
Family same	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus same	Mustela	Mustela
Species	Mustela putorius	Mustela nivalis

Evolutionary Relationship

Iltis, Waldiltis and Mauswiesel share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Mustela.

Conservation Status

Iltis, Waldiltis

VU — Vulnerable

Mauswiesel

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Iltis, Waldiltis	Mauswiesel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Iltis, Waldiltis

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.

Mauswiesel

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Oceanian and Palearctic realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Sao Tome and Principe), Asia (Cyprus), Europe (11 countries), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Iltis, Waldiltis

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.

Mauswiesel

least weasel (Mustela nivalis) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 8 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇮🇹 Italy 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇺 Russia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden