Otter, Fischotter vs Frettkatze

Lutra lutra compared with Cryptoprocta ferox

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Otter, Fischotter	Frettkatze
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order same	Carnivora (Raubtiere)	Carnivora (Raubtiere)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Eupleridae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Cryptoprocta
Species	Lutra lutra	Cryptoprocta ferox

Evolutionary Relationship

Otter, Fischotter and Frettkatze share a common ancestor at the Order level: Carnivora. (Raubtiere)

Conservation Status

Otter, Fischotter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Frettkatze

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Frettkatze

Habitat

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.