European otter vs Lance-Leaf Moonwort

Lutra lutra compared with Botrychium lanceolatum

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	Lance-Leaf Moonwort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Botrychium
Species	Lutra lutra	Botrychium lanceolatum

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Lance-Leaf Moonwort

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	Lance-Leaf Moonwort
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.

Lance-Leaf Moonwort

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and United States. 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.