Dwarf nettle vs Neotropical otter

Urtica urens compared with Lontra longicaudis

Key Differences

• Dwarf nettle is Vulnerable while Neotropical otter is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dwarf nettle	Neotropical otter
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rosales (Roses & Allies)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Urticaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Urtica	Lontra
Species	Urtica urens	Lontra longicaudis

Conservation Status

Dwarf nettle

VU — Vulnerable

Neotropical otter

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dwarf nettle	Neotropical otter
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dwarf nettle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 12 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa), Asia (Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar), Europe (19 countries), North America (Canada, Cuba, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (7 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Neotropical otter

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador