European otter vs sheet-web spiders

Lutra lutra compared with Erigone dentosa

Key Differences

• European otter is Vulnerable while sheet-web spiders is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	sheet-web spiders
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Araneae (Araneae)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Linyphiidae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Erigone
Species	Lutra lutra	Erigone dentosa

Evolutionary Relationship

European otter and sheet-web spiders share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

sheet-web spiders

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	sheet-web spiders
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.

sheet-web spiders

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Norway, 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 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway