Black-fronted Duiker vs European otter

Cephalophus nigrifrons compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Black-fronted Duiker is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-fronted Duiker	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Bovidae (Bovids)	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Cephalophus	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Cephalophus nigrifrons	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-fronted Duiker and European otter share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Black-fronted Duiker

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-fronted Duiker	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-fronted Duiker

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.

Black-fronted Duiker

The Black-fronted Duiker (Cephalophus nigrifrons) is a species in the genus Cephalophus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.