European otter vs thin-necked bladderworm

Lutra lutra compared with Taenia hydatigena

Key Differences

European otter is Vulnerable while thin-necked bladderworm is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	thin-necked bladderworm
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Platyhelminthes (Platyhelminthes)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Cestoda (Cestoda)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Cyclophyllidea (Cyclophyllidea)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Taeniidae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Taenia
Species	Lutra lutra	Taenia hydatigena

Evolutionary Relationship

European otter and thin-necked bladderworm share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

View Kingdom: Animalia

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

thin-necked bladderworm

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	thin-necked bladderworm
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.

thin-necked bladderworm

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, 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.