Eurasian red squirrel vs European otter

Sciurus vulgaris compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Eurasian red squirrel is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian red squirrel	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Sciuridae (Squirrels)	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Sciurus (Tree Squirrels)	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Sciurus vulgaris	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian red squirrel and European otter share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Eurasian red squirrel

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian red squirrel	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eurasian red squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Asia (Georgia) and Europe (5 countries).

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.

Eurasian red squirrel

Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden