European polecat vs Northern Red-backed Vole

Mustela putorius compared with Myodes rutilus

Key Differences

• European polecat is Vulnerable while Northern Red-backed Vole is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European polecat	Northern Red-backed Vole
Kingdom same	Animalia (животные)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum same	Chordata (хордовые)	Chordata (хордовые)
Class same	Mammalia (млекопитающие)	Mammalia (млекопитающие)
Order	Carnivora (хищные)	Rodentia (грызуны)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Cricetidae
Genus	Mustela	Myodes
Species	Mustela putorius	Myodes rutilus

Evolutionary Relationship

European polecat and Northern Red-backed Vole share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (млекопитающие)

Conservation Status

European polecat

VU — Vulnerable

Northern Red-backed Vole

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European polecat	Northern Red-backed Vole
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.

Northern Red-backed Vole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Russia, 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 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden