Arctic fox vs European otter

Vulpes lagopus compared with Lutra lutra

Key Differences

Arctic fox is Critically Endangered while European otter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic fox	European otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (động vật)	Animalia (động vật)
Phylum same	Chordata (động vật có dây sống)	Chordata (động vật có dây sống)
Class same	Mammalia (lớp Thú)	Mammalia (lớp Thú)
Order same	Carnivora (bộ Ăn thịt)	Carnivora (bộ Ăn thịt)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Vulpes (Foxes)	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Vulpes lagopus	Lutra lutra

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic fox and European otter share a common ancestor at the Order level: Carnivora. (bộ Ăn thịt)

Xem Order: Carnivora

Conservation Status

Arctic fox

CR — Critically Endangered

European otter

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically 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.

Arctic fox

The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is a species in the genus Vulpes. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered 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.