Eurasian otter
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2008-06-16T11:22:43Z
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{{Taxobox
| name = Eurasian Otter
| status = NT
| status_system = iucn3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{IUCN2007|assessors=Reuther, C. & Hilton-Taylor, C.|year=2004|id=12419|title=Lutra lutra|downloaded=06 May 2008}} Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened</ref>
| trend = unknown
| image = Otter in Southwold.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
| ordo = [[Carnivora]]
| familia = [[Mustelidae]]
| subfamilia = [[Otter|Lutrinae]]
| genus = [[Lutra]]
| range_map=Leefgebied otter.jpg
| range_map_caption=Range map (note: range also includes [[British Isles]])
| species = '''''L. lutra'''''
| binomial = ''Lutra lutra''
| binomial_authority = ([[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[1758]])
}}
The '''Eurasian otter''', ''Lutra lutra'', also known as the Eurasian river otter, common otter, Old World otter and European otter, is a [[Europe]]an and [[Asia]]n member of the [[Lutrinae]] or otter subfamily, and is typical of [[freshwater]] [[otter]]s. For the remainder of this article "otter" refers exclusively to the Eurasian otter.
==Range and habitat==
[[Image:Fischotter Lutra lutra1.jpg|left|thumb|240px|An otter on a bed of flowers]]
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. The otter is believed to be currently extinct in [[Liechtenstein]], [[the Netherlands]], and [[Switzerland]]. Otters are now very common in [[Latvia]], along the coast of [[Norway]] and in Northern [[Great Britain|Britain]], especially [[Shetland]] where 12% of the [[UK]] breeding population exist{{Fact|date=February 2007}} In Italy, they can be found in the [[Calore (river)|Calore]] river area.
The otter's diet mainly consists of fish but can also include [[bird]]s, [[insect]]s, [[frog]]s, [[crustacean]]s and sometimes small [[mammal]]s. In general this opportunism means they may inhabit any unpolluted body of freshwater, including lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds, as long as there is good supply of food. Otters may also live along the coast, in salt water, but require regular access to freshwater to clean their fur. When living in the sea individuals of this species are sometimes referred to as "sea otters", but they should not be confused with the true [[sea otter]], a [[North America]]n species much more strongly adapted to a marine existence.
==Behaviour and reproduction==
Otters are strongly territorial, living alone for the most part. An individual's territory may vary between about one and forty kilometres long (about half to 25 miles), with about 18 km (about 11 miles) being usual. 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 territories are only held against members of the same sex, and so those of males and females may overlap<ref name = "Erlinge">[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0030-1299%281968%2919%3A1%3C81%3ATOTOLL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-2&size=SMALL&origin=JSTOR-reducePage "Territoriality of the otter Lutra lutra L."] Erlinge, S. (1968), ''Oikos'', No. 19, 81-98.</ref>. Males and females will breed at any time of the year, and [[mating]] takes place in water. After a gestation period of about 63 days, one to four cubs are born, which remain dependent on the mother for a year. The male plays no direct role in parental care, although the territory of a female with her cubs is usually entirely within that of the male<Ref name = "Erlinge"/>. Hunting mainly takes place at night, while the day is usually spent in the otter's [[Holt#Animals:|holt]] (den) – usually a burrow or hollow tree on the riverbank which can sometimes only be entered from under water.
==Conservation==
[[Image:Pair of otters.JPG|thumb|right|229px|A pair of otters, part of a captive breeding programme]]
The Eurasian otter declined across its range in the second half of the [[20th Century]] <ref>[http://www.english-nature.org.uk/lifeinukrivers/species/otter.html "The Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) "]</ref> primarily due to pollution from pesticides such as organochlorine pesticides (OCs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Other threats included habitat loss and hunting, both legal and illegal<ref>[http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACSelection/species.asp?FeatureIntCode=S1355 "Otter: Background to selection"]</ref> Otter populations are now recovering in many parts of Europe for example in [[United Kingdom|Britain]] the number of sites with an otter presence increased by 55% between 1994 and 2002 <ref>[http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/conservation/483249/ "Otter survey of England"]</ref>. Recovery is partly due to a ban on the most harmful pesticides that has been in place across Europe since 1979 <ref>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31979L0117:EN:HTML "Council Directive 79/117/EEC of 21 December 1978"]</ref>, partly to improvements in water quality leading to increases in prey populations, and partly to direct legal protection under the European Union Habitats Directive.<ref>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31992L0043:EN:HTML "Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992"]</ref> and national legislation in several European countries <ref>[http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1815 "Species other than birds specially protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981: Schedule 5 (Animals)"]</ref><ref>[http://www.internationalwildlifelaw.org/WILDLIFEACT1976_1.html "Wildlife Act 1976 (Ireland)"]</ref>
<ref>[http://www.otter.org/news/world4.html "Otters of the world"]</ref> In [[Hong Kong]], it is on a [[List of protected species in Hong Kong|protected species]] under Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170. They are listed as Near Threatened by the 2001 [[IUCN Red List]] <ref>[http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/12419/summ "Lutra lutra– Near Threatened"]</ref>
==Eurasian otters in popular culture==
The novel ''[[Tarka the Otter]]'', and [[Tarka the Otter (1979 film)|the film]] based on it features Eurasian otters. The [[Redwall]] series of books by [[Brian Jacques]] also regularly features [[anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] otters among its characters; one of the books is even named ''The Pearls of Lutra''.
==Notes==
[[Image:Loutre des pyrenees ossau 2002.jpg|right|thumb|299px|An otter standing at the edge of a waterfall]]
<references/>
==References==
== External links==
{{commons|lutra lutra}}
{{wikispecies|lutra lutra}}
*[http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/mammals/Lutra_lutra/ ARKive] Photographs. Videos.
*[http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/conservation/483249/?version=1&lang=_e UK Environment Agency website about otters and their return]
*[http://www.ottertrust.org.uk The Otter Trust]
*[http://www.otter.org/ International Otter Survival Fund]
*[http://www.shetlandotters.com Shetland Otters]
{{Mustelidae nav}}
[[Category:Otters]]
[[Category:Mammals of Europe]]
[[Category:Mammals of Asia]]
[[Category:Fauna of Armenia]]
[[Category:Fauna of Finland]]
[[Category:Fauna of Ireland]]
[[Category:Fauna of Southeast Asia]]
[[Category:Fauna of Spain]]
[[Category:Fauna of Thailand]]
[[category:British Isles coastal fauna|Otter]]
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[[es:Lutra lutra]]
[[fa:شنگ (جانور)]]
[[fr:Loutre d'Europe]]
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[[hr:Europska vidra]]
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[[hu:Európai vidra]]
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[[ja:ユーラシアカワウソ]]
[[no:Europeisk oter]]
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