Otter, Fischotter vs North American least shrew

Lutra lutra compared with Cryptotis parva

Key Differences

• Otter, Fischotter is Vulnerable while North American least shrew is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Otter, Fischotter	North American least shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Carnivora (Raubtiere)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Soricidae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Cryptotis
Species	Lutra lutra	Cryptotis parva

Evolutionary Relationship

Otter, Fischotter and North American least shrew share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Säugetiere)

Conservation Status

Otter, Fischotter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

North American least shrew

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Otter, Fischotter	North American least shrew
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.

North American least shrew

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.