European otter vs Irish Threadwort

Lutra lutra compared with Telaranea europaea

Key Differences

• European otter is Vulnerable while Irish Threadwort is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	Irish Threadwort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Lepidoziaceae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Telaranea
Species	Lutra lutra	Telaranea europaea

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Irish Threadwort

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	Irish Threadwort
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.

Irish Threadwort

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Portugal.

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.