Giant Otter vs Silver-backed Needletail

Pteronura brasiliensis compared with Hirundapus cochinchinensis

Key Differences

• Giant Otter is Endangered while Silver-backed Needletail is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Giant Otter	Silver-backed Needletail
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Apodidae
Genus	Pteronura	Hirundapus
Species	Pteronura brasiliensis	Hirundapus cochinchinensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Giant Otter and Silver-backed Needletail share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Giant Otter

EN — Endangered

Silver-backed Needletail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Giant Otter	Silver-backed Needletail
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.

Silver-backed Needletail

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.