Alpine currant vs European otter

Ribes alpinum compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

Alpine currant is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alpine currant	European otter
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Saxifragales (Saxifragales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Grossulariaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Ribes	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Ribes alpinum	Lutra lutra

Conservation Status

Alpine currant

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alpine currant	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine currant

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

European otter

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

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

Alpine currant

The Alpine currant (Ribes alpinum) is a species in the genus Ribes. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions. Found across Europe (9 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

European otter

Sleek semi-aquatic mustelid found along clean rivers, streams, and coastlines across Europe and Asia. European otters can reach 1.3 meters in length and are highly skilled fish hunters, using sensitive whiskers to detect prey movements. Requiring unpolluted water with abundant fish, they are an indicator species for freshwater ecosystem health. Once nearly extinct in Western Europe from hunting and pollution, populations have recovered significantly following water quality improvements.