Bear-cat vs European otter

Arctictis binturong compared with Lutra lutra

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bear-cat	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (mamalia)	Mammalia (mamalia)
Order same	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Viverridae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Arctictis	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Arctictis binturong	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Bear-cat and European otter share a common ancestor at the Order level: Carnivora. (Carnivorans)

Conservation Status

Bear-cat

VU — Vulnerable

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bear-cat	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bear-cat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

European otter

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.

Bear-cat

The Bear-cat (Arctictis binturong) is a species in the genus Arctictis. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

European otter

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.