European otter vs Violet Tooth

Lutra lutra compared with Hydnellum ioeides

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	Violet Tooth
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Thelephorales (Thelephorales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Bankeraceae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Hydnellum
Species	Lutra lutra	Hydnellum ioeides

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Violet Tooth

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	Violet Tooth
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.

Violet Tooth

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, and United States. 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.