European otter vs Spangled Cotinga

Lutra lutra compared with Cotinga cayana

Key Differences

• European otter is Vulnerable while Spangled Cotinga is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European otter	Spangled Cotinga
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum same	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Aves (นก)
Order	Carnivora (สัตว์กินเนื้อ)	Passeriformes (นกเกาะคอน)
Family	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)	Cotingidae
Genus	Lutra (Otters)	Cotinga
Species	Lutra lutra	Cotinga cayana

Evolutionary Relationship

European otter and Spangled Cotinga share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)

Conservation Status

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Spangled Cotinga

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	European otter	Spangled Cotinga
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	10 years	—
Average Length	1.0 m	—
Average Weight	10.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Spangled Cotinga

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

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.

Spangled Cotinga

Spangled Cotinga (Cotinga cayana) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway