European otter vs Mudworm

Lutra lutra compared with Aporrectodea limicola

Key Differences

• European otter is Vulnerable while Mudworm is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	Mudworm
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Annelida (Segmented Worms)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Clitellata (Clitellata)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Crassiclitellata (Crassiclitellata)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Lumbricidae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Aporrectodea
Species	Lutra lutra	Aporrectodea limicola

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Mudworm

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	Mudworm
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.

Mudworm

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden