Otter, Fischotter vs Westlicher Gorilla

Lutra lutra compared with Gorilla gorilla

Key Differences

• Otter, Fischotter is Vulnerable while Westlicher Gorilla is Critically Endangered.
• Otter, Fischotter is carnivore while Westlicher Gorilla is herbivore.
• Westlicher Gorilla is 16.0x heavier than Otter, Fischotter.
• Westlicher Gorilla lives longer (40 years vs 10 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Otter, Fischotter	Westlicher Gorilla
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Carnivora (Raubtiere)	Primates (Primaten)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Hominidae (Great Apes)
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Gorilla (Gorillas)
Species	Lutra lutra	Gorilla gorilla

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Otter, Fischotter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Westlicher Gorilla

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Otter, Fischotter	Westlicher Gorilla
Diet	Carnivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	10 years	40 years
Average Length	1.0 m	1.7 m
Average Weight	10.0 kg	160.0 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.

Westlicher Gorilla

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 4 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Cameroon, Congo (Republic), Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Westlicher Gorilla

The world's largest primate, western gorillas weigh up to 180 kg and inhabit the tropical and subtropical forests of equatorial Africa. Primarily herbivorous, living in family groups led by a silverback male who protects the troop and mediates social conflicts. Critically Endangered, with populations threatened by deforestation, poaching for bushmeat, and outbreaks of Ebola virus disease.