Base-lined Grey vs European otter

Scoparia basistrigalis compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Base-lined Grey is Near Threatened while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Base-lined Grey	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Crambidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Scoparia	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Scoparia basistrigalis	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Base-lined Grey and European otter share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Base-lined Grey

NT — Near Threatened

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Base-lined Grey	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Base-lined Grey

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Base-lined Grey

The Base-lined Grey (Scoparia basistrigalis) is a species in the genus Scoparia. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden