Eurasian water shrew vs European otter

Neomys fodiens compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• Eurasian water shrew is Endangered while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian water shrew	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (животные)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum same	Chordata (хордовые)	Chordata (хордовые)
Class same	Mammalia (млекопитающие)	Mammalia (млекопитающие)
Order	Soricomorpha (землеройкообразные)	Carnivora (хищные)
Family	Soricidae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Neomys	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Neomys fodiens	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian water shrew and European otter share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (млекопитающие)

Conservation Status

Eurasian water shrew

EN — Endangered

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian water shrew	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eurasian water shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Eurasian water shrew

Eurasian water shrew (Neomys fodiens) 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.

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 5 countries:

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