Image: Otter (Eurasian) by Helen Haden. The white is also there under the face and down to the belly. Usually there are two or … With the widest distribution of the otter subfamily, the common otter … The fact that there were no records for nearly 70 years led me to doubt the veracity of historical records. These otters … 1. Encyclopedia of Mammals. They can be found throughout all of Europe, many areas of Asia, and some territories in northern Africa too. Ecography 17: 339-348. The Eurasian otter is chiefly brown on its … The Eurasian otter is very well adapted to the aquatic environment. Phylum: Chordata - Class: Mammalia - Order: Carnivora - Family: Mustelidae. North American sea otters are something of a recent … The European otter (Lutra lutra), also called the Eurasian otter, inhabits Europe, most of Asia and parts of North Africa.In the British Isles, they were common as recently as the 1950s, but became rare in many areas due to the use of chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, habitat loss and water pollution (they remained relatively … The European otter has been here for millions of years; it is a member of the Mustelid family, which also includes the badger, mink, weasels, stoats, martens and polecats, and is the only truly semi-aquatic member of the weasel family. These otters … Fun Fact. Otters also have particularly stinky poop, which even has … The Eurasian otter … The IUCN status has been described as precautionary. A combination of pollution in the … The otter is a carnivorous mammal in a branch of the weasel family called Lutrinae. There are 13 species of otters: The 13 species of otters are – African Clawless Otter, Asian Small-Clawed Otter, Congo Clawless Otter, Eurasian Otter, Giant Otter, Hairy-Nosed Otter, Marine Otter, Neotropical Otter, North American River Otter, South American River Otter … Check out our range of fun otter facts for kids. Discover facts about these mammals and their presence in urban areas including Sheffield, Birmingham and London. It boosted my theory that British naturalists had either misidentified smooth-coated otters as Eurasian otters, or mis-labelled the location from where some Eurasian otters were collected. Distribution. Introduction to Otters. Previous studies in this and other mustelids have shown reduced levels of variability in mitochondrial DNA, although otter phylogeographic studies were restricted to central-western … Nor. We care for around 15 – 20 wild rescue otters every year until their release at approximately 12-15 months old. This has steadied and the decline is not as drastic as it was over the last 23 years. However, those that live on the coast can often be seen during the day. MacDonald, D. 1984. Otters have the densest fur of any animal—as many as a million hairs per square inch in places. These otters dine on fish, birds, and various crustaceans as they are opportunistic. 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. Eurasian Otters are a semi-aquatic mammal with predominantly light brown fur and a pale ventral area. They can live in cold regions as well as warm areas. 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 eyes are placed high on the head so that it can see when the rest of the body is below water. Otters are adorable creatures that live both on land and in the water. They are often mistaken for beavers though. The European Otter … Otters breed throughout the year. Its range also encompasses Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in North Africa, Middle Eastern countries from Turkey to Iran … But habitat loss and hunting have brought many populations of other otter species crashing down around the world, especially in more tropical locations. They live mainly on land that is very close to bodies of water. Quick facts. While it does have the brownish color of coat, it also features white along the length of it. It is able to generate heat internally thus is "endothermic." Most live on shorelines of freshwater rivers and lakes, but a few hunt along seaside coasts. Its sense of sight, smell and hearing is acute. They require clean rivers, with an abundant source of food and plenty of vegetation to hide their secluded holts. Learning Colors! Usually there are two or more females living in a male's territory and when they are receptive, he will mate with all of them. It is a European member of the Mustelidae or weasel family and is typical of freshwater otters. Otters are aquatic (water-based) relatives of badgers and weasels. Facts are sorted by community importance and you can build your personalized … The average otter is 1–1.3 metres in length, and weighs up to 9kg. they can be up to 1.2m in length, with about a 3rd of that length being the tapered tail. In other regions the otter shares aquatic habitats with species specialised to different habitats such as sea otters, but in Ireland the otters that live at the coast and those that occupy our rivers are the same species. Close to bodies of water otter species crashing down around the world, especially in more locations... 7 fun facts about otters Carnivora - eurasian otter facts: Mustelidae expert swimmers and spend much of their time hunting prey. 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