Giant Otter vs Mountain yam

Pteronura brasiliensis compared with Dioscorea hamiltonii

Key Differences

• Giant Otter is Endangered while Mountain yam is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Giant Otter	Mountain yam
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Dioscoreales (Dioscoreales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Dioscoreaceae
Genus	Pteronura	Dioscorea
Species	Pteronura brasiliensis	Dioscorea hamiltonii

Conservation Status

Giant Otter

EN — Endangered

Mountain yam

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Giant Otter	Mountain yam
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Giant Otter

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Venezuela. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Mountain yam

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.