Common Seal vs European otter

Phoca vitulina compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Common Seal is Near Threatened while European otter is Vulnerable.
• Common Seal is 8.0x heavier than European otter.
• Common Seal lives longer (30 years vs 10 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Seal	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (животные)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum same	Chordata (хордовые)	Chordata (хордовые)
Class same	Mammalia (млекопитающие)	Mammalia (млекопитающие)
Order	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)	Carnivora (хищные)
Family	Phocidae (True Seals)	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Phoca (Harbor Seals)	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Phoca vitulina	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Seal and European otter share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (млекопитающие)

Conservation Status

Common Seal

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Seal	European otter
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	30 years	10 years
Average Length	1.7 m	1.0 m
Average Weight	80.0 kg	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Common Seal

The most widely distributed pinniped, harbor seals inhabit temperate and subarctic coastal waters of both the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Adults reach up to 130 kg and spend roughly equal time at sea hunting fish, squid, and crustaceans and hauling out on beaches or rocks to rest. Their large, expressive eyes are adapted for underwater vision in low light. Harbor seals are a critical food source for orcas, sharks, and polar bears.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine