Tejón vs Lesser Capybara

Meles meles compared with Hydrochoerus isthmius

Key Differences

• Tejón is Vulnerable while Lesser Capybara is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Tejón	Lesser Capybara
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Carnivora (carnívoros)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Caviidae
Genus	Meles	Hydrochoerus
Species	Meles meles	Hydrochoerus isthmius

Evolutionary Relationship

Tejón and Lesser Capybara share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mamíferos)

Conservation Status

Tejón

VU — Vulnerable

Lesser Capybara

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Tejón	Lesser Capybara
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Tejón

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Lesser Capybara

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Venezuela.

Tejón

El tejón euroasiático (Meles meles) está clasificado como Vulnerable (VU) en la Lista Roja de la UICN. Enfrenta un alto riesgo de amenaza en estado silvestre, con poblaciones en declive y creciente presión sobre su hábitat.