The Otter is one of the most threatened species of mammal in Europe. After years of man killing otters, directly or indirectly, their numbers have dramtically reduced. However they are growing again due to new protection being brought out.
The otter is one of the most threatened mammals in Europe. Since the mid 1950’s there has been a rapid decline in otters. This is partly due to pesticides and other organic compounds going into the water. However, man directly can also be blamed for its decline. People kill otters because they believe that the otters affect fish stocks. Hence otters have been found killed by fishing lines and even shot with a gun. Although such arguments have little support, due to the small number of otters around they are unlikely to have any impact at all on the fish stock. The otter is now fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 and its numbers are rising again, although there is still a lot more to do to rekindle the population.
The otter is surprisingly large, measuring around a meter in length. It has a strong long tail which forces the otter through the water. Although otters look cumbersome and awkward on land in the water they are amazing swimmers. They have webbed feet and when swimming fast move their body from side to side which propels them through the water. The fur the otter has is waterproof because it secretes an oily substance over their body. The thick under fur retains a layer of air which prevents water logging and keeps the body warm.
Otters are opportunists and although they tend to eat fish and slower species like eels, they have also been known to eat water birds and their eggs, as well as frogs and crustaceans. Although otters tend to hunt by night, they have been seen in the daylight hours. This is proven by the fact that Bassenwaithe Lake near to where I live has a pair of otters which you can regularly see. The best way to find out if an otter uses the area you are in is to look for ‘spraints’ which are otter droppings. Spraints are used to mark territory and are generally by or on an obvious landmark such as a fallen tree trunk or on a well used grassy site near to a lake. Tracks are also useful in finding otter’s, and are easy to see if on a sandy coastline. Lastly otter’s slides give away that an otter uses the area as otter’s are quite playful creatures and love to slide down a muddy bank. However if you are searching for otters do not seek the otter’s holts. Otter’s territories tend to be quite large, but vary dramatically in size as it is dependent on the food supply in the area as otters have to eat about 12-15% of their body weight a day.
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