European otter vs Fitzgerald's Notchwort

Lutra lutra compared with Mesoptychia fitzgeraldiae

Key Differences

European otter is Vulnerable while Fitzgerald's Notchwort is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	Fitzgerald's Notchwort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Jungermanniaceae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Mesoptychia
Species	Lutra lutra	Mesoptychia fitzgeraldiae

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Fitzgerald's Notchwort

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	Fitzgerald's Notchwort
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	10 years	—
Average Length	1.0 m	—
Average Weight	10.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Fitzgerald's Notchwort

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.