African or Cape clawless otter vs European otter

Aonyx capensis compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

• African or Cape clawless otter is Near Threatened while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African or Cape clawless otter	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum same	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class same	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)
Order same	Carnivora (สัตว์กินเนื้อ)	Carnivora (สัตว์กินเนื้อ)
Family same	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Aonyx	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Aonyx capensis	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

African or Cape clawless otter and European otter share a common ancestor at the Family level: Mustelidae. (Weasels & Otters)

Conservation Status

African or Cape clawless otter

NT — Near Threatened

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African or Cape clawless otter	European otter
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	10 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

African or Cape clawless otter

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.

African or Cape clawless otter

The African or Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) is a species in the genus Aonyx. It is currently classified as Near Threatened 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.