Chunky False Brook Salamander vs European otter

Aquiloeurycea cephalica compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Chunky False Brook Salamander is Least Concern while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chunky False Brook Salamander	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (동물)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum same	Chordata (척삭동물)	Chordata (척삭동물)
Class	Amphibia (양서류)	Mammalia (포유류)
Order	Caudata (도롱뇽목)	Carnivora (식육목)
Family	Plethodontidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Aquiloeurycea	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Aquiloeurycea cephalica	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Chunky False Brook Salamander and European otter share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (척삭동물)

Conservation Status

Chunky False Brook Salamander

LC — Least Concern

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chunky False Brook Salamander	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chunky False Brook Salamander

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in Mexico.

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.

Chunky False Brook Salamander

The Chunky False Brook Salamander (Aquiloeurycea cephalica) is a Least Concern plethodontid salamander endemic to Mexico, found in cloud forest and humid montane habitats in the Sierra Madre Oriental and related mountain ranges. The genus Aquiloeurycea is a recently erected Mexican endemic genus segregated from the broader genus Pseudoeurycea, comprising several small, robustly built (hence 'chunky') salamanders associated with high-elevation forests. Like all plethodontids, A. cephalica is a lungless salamander that breathes entirely through its moist, vascularized skin and the lining of its mouth. It is a direct developer, skipping the aquatic larval stage entirely and laying eggs in terrestrial microhabitats such as rotting logs, leaf litter, and soil. A. cephalica inhabits cool, humid forests of pine-oak and cloud forest zones in northern Mexico, where it forages for small invertebrates in the leaf litter and soil. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern due to its reasonably wide distribution within its montane range. Deforestation, cattle grazing, and the conversion of cloud forest to agriculture represent ongoing threats to populations throughout its range.

European otter

유럽수달(Lutra lutra)은 유럽과 아시아 전역의 깨끗한 강, 개울, 해안선에 서식하는 날렵한 반수생 족제비과 동물입니다. 체장 최대 1.3미터에 달하며 민감한 수염으로 먹이의 움직임을 감지해 물고기를 사냥하는 뛰어난 능력을 가지고 있습니다. 풍부한 물고기가 있는 오염되지 않은 물이 필요하여 담수 생태계 건강의 지표종으로 알려져 있습니다. 한때 사냥과 오염으로 서유럽에서 거의 멸종 위기에 처했지만, 수질 개선 이후 개체수가 크게 회복되었습니다.