European otter vs Fringed Cup

Lutra lutra compared with Encoelia fimbriata

Key Differences

• European otter is Vulnerable while Fringed Cup is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	Fringed Cup
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Leotiomycetes (Leotiomycetes)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Helotiales (Helotiales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Cenangiaceae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Encoelia
Species	Lutra lutra	Encoelia fimbriata

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Fringed Cup

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	Fringed Cup
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.

Fringed Cup

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.