Dodder Astragalus vs European otter

Astragalus cuscutae compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Dodder Astragalus is Endangered while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dodder Astragalus	European otter
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Fabaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Astragalus	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Astragalus cuscutae	Lutra lutra

Conservation Status

Dodder Astragalus

EN — Endangered

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dodder Astragalus

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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.