Azores Noctule vs Otter, Fischotter

Nyctalus azoreum compared with Lutra lutra

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Azores Noctule	Otter, Fischotter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Chiroptera (Fledertiere)	Carnivora (Raubtiere)
Family	Vespertilionidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Nyctalus	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Nyctalus azoreum	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Azores Noctule and Otter, Fischotter share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Säugetiere)

Conservation Status

Azores Noctule

VU — Vulnerable

Otter, Fischotter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Azores Noctule	Otter, Fischotter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Azores Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Portugal. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Azores Noctule

The Azores Noctule (Nyctalus azoreum) is a species in the genus Nyctalus. 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.