Giant Otter vs Round ray

Pteronura brasiliensis compared with Irolita waitii

Key Differences

• Giant Otter is Endangered while Round ray is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Giant Otter	Round ray
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Rajiformes (Rajiformes)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Arhynchobatidae
Genus	Pteronura	Irolita
Species	Pteronura brasiliensis	Irolita waitii

Evolutionary Relationship

Giant Otter and Round ray share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Giant Otter

EN — Endangered

Round ray

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Giant Otter	Round ray
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.

Round ray