Otter, Fischotter vs Fledermaus-Azurjungfer

Lutra lutra compared with Coenagrion pulchellum

Key Differences

• Otter, Fischotter is Vulnerable while Fledermaus-Azurjungfer is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Otter, Fischotter	Fledermaus-Azurjungfer
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Insecta (Insekten)
Order	Carnivora (Raubtiere)	Odonata (Libellen)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Coenagrionidae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Coenagrion
Species	Lutra lutra	Coenagrion pulchellum

Evolutionary Relationship

Otter, Fischotter and Fledermaus-Azurjungfer share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Tier)

Conservation Status

Otter, Fischotter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Fledermaus-Azurjungfer

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Otter, Fischotter	Fledermaus-Azurjungfer
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.

Fledermaus-Azurjungfer

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as 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.

Fledermaus-Azurjungfer

Variable Bluet (Coenagrion pulchellum) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden