Crested Fireback vs European otter

Lophura ignita compared with Lutra lutra

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Crested Fireback	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Galliformes (Galliformes)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Phasianidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Lophura	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Lophura ignita	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Crested Fireback and European otter share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Crested Fireback

VU — Vulnerable

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Crested Fireback

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, France, Netherlands, Norway, and United Kingdom. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway