European otter vs Lined Hooktail

Lutra lutra compared with Paragomphus lineatus

Key Differences

• European otter is Vulnerable while Lined Hooktail is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	Lined Hooktail
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Gomphidae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Paragomphus
Species	Lutra lutra	Paragomphus lineatus

Evolutionary Relationship

European otter and Lined Hooktail share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Lined Hooktail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	Lined Hooktail
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.

Lined Hooktail

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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.