Arend-Goldmull vs Otter, Fischotter

Carpitalpa arendsi compared with Lutra lutra

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arend-Goldmull	Otter, Fischotter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Afrosoricida (Tenrekartige)	Carnivora (Raubtiere)
Family	Chrysochloridae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Carpitalpa	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Carpitalpa arendsi	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Arend-Goldmull and Otter, Fischotter share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Säugetiere)

Conservation Status

Arend-Goldmull

VU — Vulnerable

Otter, Fischotter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arend-Goldmull	Otter, Fischotter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arend-Goldmull

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Otter, Fischotter

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.

Arend-Goldmull

The Arend’s Golden Mole (Carpitalpa arendsi) is a species in the genus Carpitalpa. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Otter, Fischotter

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.