Crescent Map Lichen vs European otter

Rhizocarpon lecanorinum compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Crescent Map Lichen is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Crescent Map Lichen	European otter
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rhizocarpales (Rhizocarpales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Rhizocarpaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Rhizocarpon	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Rhizocarpon lecanorinum	Lutra lutra

Conservation Status

Crescent Map Lichen

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Crescent Map Lichen	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Crescent Map Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and 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.

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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden