Status: Near Threatened … Otter cubs only open their eyes about five weeks after they are born. Brown above and cream below, these long, slender creatures are well-equipped for their aquatic habits. This species is easy to recognize as they usuall… The Eurasian otters have an elongated body, supported with small and short legs.
Their bones show The Eurasian otter is the most widely distributed otter species, its range including parts of Asia and Africa, as well as being spread across Europe, south to In general, their varied and adaptable diets mean they may inhabit any unpolluted body of fresh water, including lakes, streams, rivers, canals and ponds, as long as the food supply is adequate. The Eurasian otter is one of the most widespread mammal species. The thick fur is made up if 2 layers, a thick outer waterproof one protecting a warm inner one. When leached in to waterways, these chemicals had a serious impact on top predators, including the otter, due to the way the chemicals become more concentrated in animals higher up the food chains. The European otter has a wide distribution but no overall population estimate is available. Other threats included habitat loss and hunting, both legal and illegal.
These declines were linked to the use of organochlorine pesticides, including dieldrin, in agricultural practices. In parts of their range, otters are also threatened by hunting, and bycatch in some fishing gears (e.g. In the United Kingdom, the number of sites with an otter presence increased by 55% between 1994 and 2002. The conservation status of this ancient species has been a concern in the UK since they became close to extinction here after dramatic population declines from the mid 1950’s to the 1980’s. A study conducted in 2001, examined whether or not the populations of Eurasian otters suffered from a lack of The decline in population of native freshwater fishes, which is the preferred food of Eurasian otters, in the rivers of Iberia, along with the expansion of exotic fish species like Blanco-Garrido, F., Prenda, J., Narvaez, M. “Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) diet and prey selection in Mediterranean streams invaded by centrarchid fishes.” Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2007. The fur of the European otters has brown hues, and is made up hairs short in size. According to the scientific resources, the total population size of European otters in Belarus is around 12, 000 individuals and in Sweden - 500-1000 individuals. The Eurasian otter declined across its range in the second half of the 20th century primarily due to pollution from pesticides such as organochlorine and polychlorinated biphenyls. As for their size, the Eurasian otters reach up to 69 centimeters in length, of which about 42 centimeters correspond to their tail. The Eurasian otter is a typical species of the otter subfamily.
Their skull is elongated and their snout crushed. The European otter is the most widely distributed otter species being widely spread across Europe. Restrictions in the UK on certain chemical pesticides and fertilisers, as well as conservation efforts have allowed for their slow recovery. The length of the territory depends on the density of food available and the width of the water suitable for hunting (it is shorter on coasts, where the available width is much wider, and longer on narrower rivers).The Eurasian otter uses its feces, spraints, to mark its territory and prioritize the use of resources to other group members.The Eurasian otter declined across its range in the second half of the 20th centuryIn Asia, it is listed as endangered in Pakistan, India, Most species that are victims of population decline or a loss of habitat tend to eventually lose their genetic difference due to inbreeding from small populations.
© Marine Conservation Society (MCS) 2017. Type: Mammal Location: One of the widest distributions of a UK mammal species, the Eurasian Otter is found throughout Europe, eastern Russia and China, south and south east Asia and north Africa. It has short limbs, webbed feet and claws, and highly sensitive whiskers, enabling it to detect prey in murky waters. Eurasian otter populations are now recovering in many parts of Europe. Traffic injuries are also a problem, as more roads are built through their habitats. Eurasian otter numbers began declining in the 1950s until the species became almost extinct in England and Wales, although a small population survived in Scotland. While hunting and habitat loss played a part, pollution of our waterways from agricultural chemicals was devastating to otter populations. An individual's territory may vary between about 1 and 40 km (1–25 mi) long, with about 18 km (11 mi) being usual. The fur traps a layer of air to enable insulation. The position of the eyes high on the head allow it to see out of the water whilst the rest of the body is below. Otters are now very common along the coast of Norway and in Northern Britain, especially Shetland where 12% of the UK breeding population exist.
The otter is believed to be extinct in Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.