Bird Cherry Dotty vs European otter

Polystigma fulvum compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

Bird Cherry Dotty is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bird Cherry Dotty	European otter
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Phyllachorales (Phyllachorales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Phyllachoraceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Polystigma	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Polystigma fulvum	Lutra lutra

Conservation Status

Bird Cherry Dotty

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bird Cherry Dotty	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bird Cherry Dotty

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Bird Cherry Dotty

The Bird Cherry Dotty (Polystigma fulvum) is a species in the genus Polystigma. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.