Eurasian otter. The Eurasian Otter has an acute sense of sight, smell and hearing. just create an account. They demonstrate a high climatic and trophic adaptability, occurring from tropical coastal wetlands up to mountain streams. Reports now state that otters inhabit every county in the UK – great news for the otter! In addition to being fun, this teaches young otters good hunting skills. As per their habitat requirements, the American mink frequently co-occur with the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra Linnaeus, 1758). Scat surveys have become the method of choice to monitor species distribution range, abundance and habitat use. Otters are semi-aquatic animals eating fish, frogs, crabs, small birds and mammals. Behaviour - Formation, Origin & Formula, Soil Contamination: Treatment, Phytoremediation & Bioremediation, Soil Contamination: Definition, Sources & Prevention, Quiz & Worksheet - Textual & Non-Textual Scientific Presentations, What is a Constant in Science? The Eurasian otter Lutra lutra is a top predator that feeds mostly on fish. They live in burrow in most waterways and coastal Diet – but our river systems still require extensive habitat – but our river systems still require extensive habitat management to restore them to a healthy level that can sustain fish stocks and wildlife. Jordi Ruiz-Olmo, Juan Jiménez, Diet diversity and breeding of top predators are determined by habitat stability and structure: a case study with the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra L.), European Journal of Wildlife Research, 10.1007/s10344-008-0226-3, 55, 2, (133-144), (2008). They are typically nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day and are most active at night, though this varies somewhat by country. Get access risk-free for 30 days, They have been seen sliding down muddy river banks, and leaping and chasing one another. Beaver has a stockier body, compared to the long body of the otter. Create an account to start this course today. They are nocturnal, so most foraging is done at night. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Agricultural Field photos available for quick and easy download. Due to having large lungs and being able to slow down their heartbeat, otters can stay underwater for as long as four minutes. credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level. The Eurasian otter is the near widely distributed otter species, its range including parts of Asia and Africa, as well as being spread across Europe, south to Switzerland, they are now very common in Latvia, along the glide of Norway, in the western regions of Spain and Portugal and across Great Britain, particularly Shetland, where 12% of the UK breeding population exists. Their territory can be as big as 25 miles wide but is usually about 11 miles. Did you know… We have over 220 college They may even prey on insects, snakes, lizards and some small species of rodent. In 2018 the first otter survey within the exclusion zone was carried out looking for spraints and other signs of otter presence. As you might expect, given their semiaquatic lifestyle, much of the diet of a Eurasian otter comes from the water. ... Habitat. Habitat Those living on the coast are susceptible to oil spills. Being carnivores, they eat fish, crabs, molluscs and snails. Otter Habitat and Distribution Otters are found on every single continent in the world except for Australia and Antarctica. Scat surveys have become the method of choice to monitor species distribution range, abundance and habitat use. native; Habitat. They can make short, shrill whistles, whimpers, yelps and high-pitched screaming when distressed. Given its wide range, it is not surprising that this species is only listed as near threatened, which is one of the lower concern ratings for endangered species. for females. The otter Lutra lutra was once widespread in Europe, but populations declined sharply during the 1960s and 1970s due to pollution, exacerbated by hunting and habitat loss. The European otter, a semi-aquatic species, lives along coasts and in a wide variety of freshwater habitats. (MacDonald, 1984) Biogeographic Regions; palearctic. However, sometimes they form loosely knit groups numbering as many as six animals. They enjoy the freshwater but they are also known to live in the saltwater of the oceans as well. The River Eden provides an example of lowland otter Lutra lutra habitats in north-west England and complements the selection of the River Derwent and Bassenthwaite Lake. We'll look at its habitat, diet, and lifespan, as well as some interesting facts. Field surveys in 1998 and 2007 documented increase in occurrence of the species. Adaptations to an aquatic lifestyle are its webbed feet, its ability to close its small ears and its nose when it is under water, and its very dense, short fur that traps a layer of air for the purpose of insulating the animal. The Eurasian otter is one of the most widespread mammal species. 2001 , Melero et al. imaginable degree, area of Key Information: This is the smallest of the world’s otters, about 0.9 m long, weighing around 5 kg. They make use of freshwater and peat swamp forests, rice fields, lakes, streams, reservoirs, canals, drainage ditches, rice paddies, mangroves, tidal pools, and along the coastline. Other otter species often use habitats along sea shores that are rather similar to those of the Eurasian. - Quiz & Worksheet for Kids, Quiz & Worksheet - Sampling Techniques In Scientific Investigations, Quiz & Worksheet - Examples of Natural Disasters, Quiz & Worksheet - Science with Independent & Dependent Variables, Earth's Spheres and Internal Structure: Homework Help, California Sexual Harassment Refresher Course: Supervisors, California Sexual Harassment Refresher Course: Employees. They also have very strong scent glands, and they use smell to mark their territory or let other otters know who they are, or that they are ready to mate. Eurasian otter - Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758) Images from the web Quick facts Threat status Europe ... and it has a sufficient large habitat. It is an elusive animal which has sleek brown fur, often paler on its underside, covering its long lithe body, thick tail and little legs. Although methodological concerns exist, scat … They build their nests on land, sometimes by digging tunnels, and sometimes by using existing shelters such as tree roots, caves, and vegetation. Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species. The male’s territory can cover about 15 km of river, crossing it every 3 or 4 nights. They are carnivores. Habitat: mainly the area around freshwater lakes, rivers, some coasts - as long as they are undisturbed and there is plenty of cover. We found that otter use of water bodies was not related to the natural or artificial origin of the water. Such behavior is seen as helping young otters improve their hunting techniques. Habitat correlates of the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra recolonizing Central Poland Jerzy Romanowski , Marcin Brzeziński , and Michał Żmihorski Centre for Ecological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Dziekanów Leśny ul. In most of its range it is nocturnal except in the Shetlands where it is diurnal. Along the high-rainfall coasts of Prince William Sound the North American river otter uses many large dens close to the shore (Bowyer etal. Eurasian otter (lutra lutra) in natural habitat - download this royalty free Stock Photo in seconds. Otters are now very common along the coast of Norway and in Northern Britain, especially Shetland where 12% of the UK breeding population exist. Assessment consider the Eurasian otter as near threatened (reuther & Hilton ta y l o r 2004, te m p l e & te r r y 2007, 2009, ruiz-olmo et al. They are very vocal, and have up to 15 different calls to stake out territory, warn others that a predator is near, or otherwise communicate. Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) are an extremely widespread semiaquatic mammal. | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} In the wild, assuming they live out their full natural lives, they might live to be around 17 years old. The otter is believed to be extinct in Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Otters have their cubs in underground burrows, known as 'holts'. European otters have their most active time at dusk and at night. RED LIST status: Near Threatened alias: old world otter, river otter predators: birds of prey, crocodiles, dogs threats: pollution, poaching, habitat loss, accidental trapping, road kill size: 102-138 cm (body 57-70 cm; tail 35-40 cm) weight: 4-11 kg The Eurasian otter is an elusive, solitary otter that has one of the widest distributions of all palearctic mammals, from Ireland to China and … Spanish Grammar: Describing People and Things Using the Imperfect and Preterite, Talking About Days and Dates in Spanish Grammar, Describing People in Spanish: Practice Comprehension Activity, Quiz & Worksheet - Employee Rights to Privacy & Safety, Flashcards - Real Estate Marketing Basics, Flashcards - Promotional Marketing in Real Estate, Microbiology Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Intro to Physics for Teachers: Professional Development, Introduction to Computing: Certificate Program, Mixed Numbers & Improper Fractions Lesson Plans & Activities, Quiz & Worksheet - Completing Division Sentences, Quiz & Worksheet - Adding Two Numbers Up to Three Digits, Quiz & Worksheet - Silicate vs. Non-silicate Minerals, Police-Community Relations: Importance & Comparisons, Freedom from Unreasonable Search and Seizure: Definition & Amendment, SAT Subject Tests: Registration & Test Dates, Tech and Engineering - Questions & Answers, Health and Medicine - Questions & Answers, Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. They live near water, including streams, swamps, lakes, and the ocean. European status and distribution. By coppicing It was listed this way because of a population decline, but with current conservation efforts, the population in many countries seems to be recovering. Eurasian otters are indigenous to the UK and can be found in either fresh or salt water, although it’s usually known as the river otter for the obvious reason. During the day they are in their dens on the land, staying cool, coming out at night to eat. 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 Palestine. These otters are vocal, having basic calls of greeting, alarm and mating, and up to 12 further calls. They stay with her for a little over a year. They mainly eat fish, crabs, and other shellfish, though they sometimes eat other meat, such as birds, eggs, and small mammals. Bail Bond Agent: Education, Licensure & Salary, Become a Curriculum Writer: Education and Career Roadmap, Selling Back Textbooks Is Not a Yes or No Decision, 10 Ways Your School Can Be Useful During the Summer, Dartmouths with Coco Conan OBrien Is the Dartmouth Commencement Speaker, Orders Eulipotyphia, Chiroptera & Didelphimorphia, Eurasian Otter: Habitat, Diet, Lifespan & Facts, Order Primates: Lorises, Galagos, & Tarsiers, TECEP Science of Nutrition: Study Guide & Test Prep, NMTA Middle Grades General Science (204): Practice & Study Guide, GACE Health Education (613): Practice & Study Guide, TCAP HS EOC - Chemistry: Test Prep & Practice, Washington EOC - Biology Grade 10: Test Prep & Practice, MTEL General Science (10): Practice & Study Guide, What is a Gem? Excellent and lithe swimmers, the young are in the water by 10 weeks of age. They also eat crustaceans, frogs and even small water birds. Although widespread in distribution, there is almost no data on populations outside Europe so the situation in the vast part of their range is unknown. This species mostly lives alone, except when a mother has cubs. Lutra lutra inhabits most of Eurasia south of the tundra line and North Africa. The elusive otter is one of our top predators, feeding mainly on fish (particularly eels and salmonids), waterbirds, amphibians and crustaceans. Otter habitat, home and diet Spotted sliding down banks on their bellies before elegantly gliding into water, or wrestling with siblings, the playful and … 1998). The only native UK otter species, the Eurasian otter is a European protected species and is also protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Eurasian otters split their time between land and water, building nests on land, but doing most of their foraging in the water. Although the mating system in European otters has not been well studied, they are thought to be either polygynous (one male mates with multiple females) or polygynandrous (promiscuous) (both males and females have multiple mates), as both males and females associate with each other only during mating. Size: Males (also known as dog otters) can reach a length of 130cm from nose to tail, while females (bitch otters) are smaller. Visit the Kingdom Animalia: Study Guide & Review page to learn more. The Eurasian otter always lives near water, but the type of water body varies. This Despite being such a lovable carnivore, the Eurasian Otter is classified as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN due to a declining population over the last 40 years. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia.The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of the weasel family (Mustelidae), it is found in the waterways and coasts of Europe, many parts of Asia, and parts of northern Africa. They are the most territorial of otter species. © copyright 2003-2021 Study.com. It is a European branch of the weasel or Mustelidae family. 3 Habitat char acteristic s of Eurasian otter sit es in Central Polan d. Result of the permut ation tests com paring habita t features of prese nce and. While hunting and habitat loss played a part, pollution of our waterways from agricultural chemicals was devastating to otter populations. Otter habitat, home and diet Although the Korean population of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) was designated as an endangered species, habitat and basic ecology of Korean otters have been rarely known.To ascertain sprainting behavior of the Eurasian otter in the freshwater habitat and investigate the habitat preferences, otter surveys along the Ungok River in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, were conducted for a 12 … 2008), this animal is still considered a critically endangered species in italy (B u l g a r i n i et al. Ireland's otters are geographically widespread and believed to be the most s… 's' : ''}}. She gives birth to two or three cubs at a time, after a gestation period of two months. They will spend several hours nightly foraging in water. Eurasian otter - Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758) Images from the web. Study.com has thousands of articles about every 1993 , Macdonald & Strachan 1999 , Jędrzejewska et al. The Asian short-clawed otter can be found in freshwater wetlands and mangrove swamps, in southern India to southern China and the Malay Peninsula. Quick facts. Growing human-wildlife conflicts and legal conservation obligations increased the need for precise information on Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) population parameters for species status assessment and wildlife management measures. The Eurasian river otter has been recorded all over the UK, with most of the population residing in Scotland. In this lesson you'll learn about one of the most widespread otter species: the Eurasian otter. first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. This species prefers areas where there is a lot of plant life along the shore or river bank. Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) Broad, flat tail, unlike the long, muscular, tapering tail of the otter. Group Bull. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree. For the most part Eurasian otters live alone, except when a mother has young babies. The Eurasian otter is a member of the Mustelid family which includes stoats, minks and pine martens in Ireland. Sociology 110: Cultural Studies & Diversity in the U.S. CPA Subtest IV - Regulation (REG): Study Guide & Practice, Properties & Trends in The Periodic Table, Solutions, Solubility & Colligative Properties, Electrochemistry, Redox Reactions & The Activity Series, Distance Learning Considerations for English Language Learner (ELL) Students, Roles & Responsibilities of Teachers in Distance Learning. The Eurasian otter is one of the most widespread mammal species. They eat a lot of fish and crabs, and sometimes other shellfish. In captivity they can live to be 22 years old. Yet, studies show the high plasticity of otter foraging behaviour and the varying importance of alternative food types in … 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. 2008 , 2014 ). Log in here for access. It was listed this way because of a population decline, but with current conservation efforts, the population in many c… 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. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Each European otter within its territory of between 1 and 4 miles has fixed locations where it gets into and exits from the water, sunbathing, rolling and sliding about on "otter stairways". Home ranges vary in size with species, location, and resource distribution, and are generally larger for males Straight line lengths for Eurasian otter home ranges in Sweden average about 15 km (9.3 mi.) Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Along the high-rainfall coasts of Prince William Sound the North American river otter uses many large dens close to the shore Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) are semiaquatic, which means they split their time between land and water. Habitat With the widest distribution of the otter subfamily, the common otter stretches from western Europe to central Asia. That of the female is smaller, occupying about 7 km. Services. Although methodological concerns exist, scat … Without special training, most people can hold their breath for 30 seconds to a minute before they are pretty uncomfortable. According to the IUCN Red List, the overall estimate of the population in the United Kingdom was around 10,395 individuals in 2004. They remain with their mothers up to the age of 14 months, reaching reproductive maturity at the age of 2 or 3 years. The oldest recorded otter reached around 12 years of age, but this is exceptional. colonizat ion sites is given on the pl ot. study The frequency of positive sites … 21A 2004 SURVEY AND HABITAT EVALUATION FOR A PERIPHERAL POPULATION OF THE EURASIAN OTTER IN ITALY ANNA LOY, Dipartimento Scienze e Tecnologie per l’Ambiente e il Otter has a broader muzzle and is larger than a cat. Gestation is for 60 to 70 days, each female bearing 2 or 3 pups. The Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra, is distributed over the Eurasian continent from the Korean Peninsula in East Asia to the Iberian Peninsula in Western Europe and is capable of occupying environments from tundra to tropical rainforest (Mason and Macdonald 1986). Distribution of a recolonising species may not reflect habitat suitability alone: the case of the Eurasian otter … Written by Jeniffer Coates. Dry resting sites and covered dens are found in tree roots, earth tunnels, boulder piles, banks and shrubs. They are solitary animals unless in a mating pair or a mothers with her young. The Eurasian otter is a solitary animal with the female rearing the cubs on her own. Create your account, Already registered? Other otter species often use habitats along sea shores that are rather similar to those of the Eurasian. We address the process of otter recolonization and habitat utilization in Central Poland over 14 years. Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) is a species belonging to the Weasel family and is known as an indicator of ecological health of rivers, as they prefer aquatic environments rich in cover and food resources such as stable shelters and homes that are not affected by … ... Aonyx is the older name, so the Asian small-clawed otter is now Aonyx cinereus. The increase in Eurasian otter Lutra lutra populations in their natural range and recolonization processes are recently observed in several European countries. Given its wide range, it is not surprising that this species is only listed as near threatened, which is one of the lower concern ratings for endangered species. They will stay with her for a little over a year, and they can mate and have babies of their own after they are two to three years old. Though Eurasian otters mostly live alone, they do care for their cubs. European otters live throughout Europe, North Africa and Asia, inhabiting streams, rivers, lakes, freshwater and peat swamp forests, ocean shores, rice fields, fjords, caves, and other terrestrial habitats close by waterways. {{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | The European otter has a wide distribution but no overall population estimate is available. Because otters eat mainly fish, you’ll generally find them in areas where there are plenty of this food source. They enjoy the freshwater but they are also known to live in the saltwater of the oceans as well. They nest on land, tending to build underground tunnels to move between the two. They are able to cross territorial boundaries without incident, but aggressive behavior will occur if the same gender tries to enter a territory. Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub, 2. The Eurasian river otter is a member of the weasel family with a long lithe body, short legs and a thick tail. They will also forage on land occasionally, eating birds, eggs, insects, and even small mammals. This has steadied and the decline is not as drastic as it was over the last 23 years. The Eurasian otter is the nearly widely distributed otter species, its range including parts of Asia and Africa, as well as being spread across Europe, south to Switzerland, they are now very common in Latvia, along the coast of Norway, in the western regions of Spain and Portugal and across Great Britain, particularly Shetland, where 12% of the UK breeding population exists. It lives on the European, Asian, and African continents, and is native to around 81 different countries. In some areas, a female Alaska se… They are listed as near threatened, but their population in most areas seems to be recovering. Geographic Range. They live near streams, rivers, lakes, swamps, and along coastlines, depending on the country. Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) in natural habitat - Buy this stock photo and explore similar images at Adobe Stock