White-tailed eagle known to prey on the critically endangered, native European mink ("Mustela lutreola") (perhaps due to its shier habits) which the American mink are known to have been outcompeting in some areas (but the European has mainly declined due to massive overhunting by humans as a furbearer). Kits of larger mammals such as Eurasian ("Castor fiber") and North American beavers ("Castor canadensis") (introduced) and of European badger ("Meles meles") have been found as prey. The most widely reported mammalian prey known (albeit usually as a supplemental prey species) in the non-native muskrat ("Ondatra zibethicus"), which averages about , and may be
European hedgehog days they can roll into a ball. Weaning occurs at four to six weeks of age. European hedgehogs may live to ten years of age, although the average life expectancy is three years. Starvation is the most common cause of death, usually occurring during hibernation. If alarmed, the animal will roll into a ball to protect itself. Many potential predators are repelled by its spines, but predation does occur. Remains of hedgehogs have been found in the stomachs of European badgers ("Meles meles"), red foxes ("Vulpes vulpes") and pine martens ("Martes martes"). A large portion of these may be from