Otter, Fischotter vs Mittelmeer-Kleinwühlmaus

Lutra lutra compared with Microtus duodecimcostatus

Key Differences

• Otter, Fischotter is Vulnerable while Mittelmeer-Kleinwühlmaus is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Otter, Fischotter	Mittelmeer-Kleinwühlmaus
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Carnivora (Raubtiere)	Rodentia (Nagetiere)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Cricetidae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Microtus
Species	Lutra lutra	Microtus duodecimcostatus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Otter, Fischotter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Mittelmeer-Kleinwühlmaus

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Otter, Fischotter	Mittelmeer-Kleinwühlmaus
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.

Mittelmeer-Kleinwühlmaus

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.