European otter vs Marsh Webcap

Lutra lutra compared with Cortinarius uliginosus

Key Differences

• European otter is Vulnerable while Marsh Webcap is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	Marsh Webcap
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Cortinariaceae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Cortinarius
Species	Lutra lutra	Cortinarius uliginosus

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Marsh Webcap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	Marsh Webcap
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.

Marsh Webcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden