European otter vs River Thread-moss

Lutra lutra compared with Bryum riparium

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	River Thread-moss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Bryophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Bryales (Bryales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Bryaceae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Bryum
Species	Lutra lutra	Bryum riparium

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

River Thread-moss

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	River Thread-moss
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.

River Thread-moss

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden. 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden