Otter, Fischotter vs Olive Scribble Lichen

Lutra lutra compared with Opegrapha vulgata

Key Differences

• Otter, Fischotter is Vulnerable while Olive Scribble Lichen is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Otter, Fischotter	Olive Scribble Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Tier)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)
Class	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Carnivora (Raubtiere)	Ostropales (Ostropales)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Graphidaceae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Opegrapha
Species	Lutra lutra	Opegrapha vulgata

Conservation Status

Otter, Fischotter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Olive Scribble Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Otter, Fischotter	Olive Scribble Lichen
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.

Olive Scribble Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden