European otter vs intermediate polypody

Lutra lutra compared with Polypodium interjectum

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	intermediate polypody
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Polypodiaceae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Polypodium
Species	Lutra lutra	Polypodium interjectum

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

intermediate polypody

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	intermediate polypody
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.

intermediate polypody

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. 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.