Details
Lutra lutra
A semiaquatic mustelid from Europe across much of Asia. A streamlined body and powerful tail help it pursue prey in rivers, lakes, and coasts.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Eurasian otters inhabit rivers, lakes, marshes, estuaries, and rocky shores. Clean water, fish, bankside cover, and den sites are important.
They have dense brown waterproof fur, a long tail, webbed feet, and sensitive whiskers that detect prey movements underwater.
Mostly nocturnal and solitary, they patrol territories along waterways. They swim smoothly and rest in holts under banks, roots, or rocks.
Fish are the main food, with crustaceans, frogs, waterbirds, and small mammals also taken. Diet shifts by region and season.
Females give birth in waterside dens and later teach young to swim and hunt. Young disperse after an extended period with the mother.
River engineering, pollution, and road mortality affect populations, so the species is often treated as an indicator of connected waterways.
