Sunday 19 May
Common otter (Lutra lutra)

What’s the World’s Favourite Species?
Find out here.Common otter fact file
- Description
- Biology
- Range
- Habitat
- Status
- Threats
- Conservation
- Find out more
- Glossary
- References
- Print factsheet
Common otter description
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Family | Mustelidae |
| Genus | Lutra (1) |
The elusive common otter (Lutra lutra) has sleek brown fur, which is often paler on the underside, and a long lithe body with a thick tail and short legs (2). Adaptations for an aquatic lifestyle include webbed feet (2), the ability to close the small ears and the nose when under water, and very dense, short fur which traps a layer of air to insulate the animal. Many sensitive hairs ('vibrissae') frame the snout; these help the otter to locate prey (2).
The vocalisations of the common otter include a high-pitched whistle between a female and her cubs, twittering noises produced during play-fighting and cat-like noises when fighting (2).
- Also known as
- Eurasian otter, European otter, European river otter, Old World otter.
- French
- Loutre Commune, Loutre De Rivière, Loutre D'Europe.
- Spanish
- NUTRIA, Nutria Común.
- Size
- Male weight: 10.1 kg (2)
- Female weight: 7.0 kg (2)
- Head-body length: 57 - 70 cm (3)
- Tail length: 35 - 40 cm (3)
-
The Mammal Society's otter fact sheet:
http://www.mammal.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=231&Itemid=264 -
BBC Wildlife Finder:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/European_Otter -
IUCN Red List (May, 2011)
http://www.iucnredlist.org/ -
Mammal Society otter fact sheet (January, 2002)
http://www.mammal.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=231&Itemid=264 - Macdonald, D. (2001) The New Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
-
UK Biodiversity Species Action Plan (January, 2002)
http://www.ukbap.org.uk - Morris, P. (2002) Pers. comm.
-
EC Nature Protection (December, 2002)
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/nature/hab-an2en.htm - view the contents of, and Material on, the website;
- download and retain copies of the Material on their personal systems in digital form in low resolution for their own personal use;
- teachers, lecturers and students may incorporate the Material in their educational material (including, but not limited to, their lesson plans, presentations, worksheets and projects) in hard copy and digital format for use within a registered educational establishment, provided that the integrity of the Material is maintained and that copyright ownership and authorship is appropriately acknowledged by the End User.
Common otter biology
Common otters feed mainly on fish, and the occasional water bird or frog may also be taken (3). Up to 15 percent of an individual's body weight in fish may be consumed daily (2). Common otters mark their large territories by depositing faeces ('spraints') in various prominent places (3).
Breeding can occur throughout the year; two or three cubs are usually born in a den known as a holt, and ten weeks later the cubs emerge above ground with their mother (3). Female common otters care for their offspring for about a year; it may take the cubs up to 18 months to learn to fish, and the female helps this learning process by releasing live fish for the cubs to re-catch (2).
TopCommon otter range
Once widespread throughout the UK, the common otter is now largely restricted to Wales, south-west England, Scotland and Northern Ireland (4), is scarce in the east and south-east and absent from central England (5). It occurs throughout most of Eurasia, to the south of the tundra line, as well as in North Africa (2).
TopCommon otter habitat
Found by clean rivers, lakes and along coasts. Otters living on the coast also require a source of fresh water with which to clean their fur (3) in order to retain its insulating properties (2).
TopCommon otter status
The common otter is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List (1). Listed under CITES Appendix I and III (4), Appendix II of the Bern Convention and Annex II of the EC Habitats Directive (5). Protected in the UK by Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) (3).
TopCommon otter threats
Common otter fur was once highly prized, and for many years the species was hunted for this reason, for 'sport', and to protect fish stocks (2). Throughout most of Europe and Britain, common otter numbers declined drastically in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Habitat loss and pollution played a major part in the decline (3). Furthermore, many otherwise suitable rivers lack enough tall vegetation for otters to conceal their holts and to rest in (3).
The common otter has a low rate of population growth due to the extended period of maternal care, the small size of litters and the short average lifespan of about four years (2).
TopCommon otter conservation
Some areas managed as 'otter havens' have been protected against human disturbance and had plenty of vegetation planted (2)
Under the EC Habitats Directive two areas have been proposed as SACs (Special Areas of Conservation) for the common otter. The species action plan produced as part of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) aims to maintain and expand existing populations and ensure that by the year 2010, breeding populations have been restored to all catchments and coastal areas where post-1960 records exist (6).
TopFind out more
For more information on the common otter:
Authentication
Information authenticated by Dr Pat Morris.
TopReferences
More »Related species
This species is featured in:
This species is featured in the Mediterranean Basin eco-region
This species is featured in:
This is a UK rocky shore species. Visit our habitat page to learn more.
Close
Image credit
© lauriecampbell.com
Laurie Campbell Photography
Hestia
Paxton
Berwick-upon-Tweed
TD15 1TE
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1289 386 736
Fax: +44 (0) 1289 386 746
info@lauriecampbell.com
http://www.lauriecampbell.com
Close
Link to this photo
Embed this ARKive thumbnail link by copying and pasting the code below.
Terms of Use - The displayed thumbnail may be used as a link from your website to ARKive's online content for private, scientific, conservation or educational purposes only. It may NOT be used within Apps.
Read more about
Close
MyARKive
MyARKive offers the scrapbook feature to signed-up members, allowing you to organize your favourite ARKive images and videos and share them with friends.
Close
Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials
Copyright in this website and materials contained on this website (Material) belongs to Wildscreen or its licensors.
Visitors to this website (End Users) are entitled to:
End Users shall not copy or otherwise extract, alter or manipulate Material other than as permitted in these Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials.
Additional use of flagged material
Green flagged material 
Certain Material on this website (Licence 4 Material) displays a green flag next to the Material and is available for not-for-profit conservation or educational use. This material may be used by End Users, who are individuals or organisations that are in our opinion not-for-profit, for their not-for-profit conservation or not-for-profit educational purposes. Low resolution, watermarked images may be copied from this website by such End Users for such purposes. If you require high resolution or non-watermarked versions of the Material, please contact Wildscreen with details of your proposed use.
Creative commons material
Certain Material on this website has been licensed to Wildscreen under a Creative Commons Licence. These images are clearly marked with the Creative Commons buttons and may be used by End Users only in the way allowed by the specific Creative Commons Licence under which they have been submitted. Please see http://creativecommons.org for details.
Any other use
Please contact the copyright owners directly (copyright and contact details are shown for each media item) to negotiate terms and conditions for any use of Material other than those expressly permitted above. Please note that many of the contributors to ARKive are commercial operators and may request a fee for such use.
Save as permitted above, no person or organisation is permitted to incorporate any copyright material from this website into any other work or publication in any format (this includes but is not limited to: websites, Apps, CDs, DVDs, intranets, extranets, signage, digital communications or on printed materials for external or other distribution). Use of the Material for promotional, administrative or for-profit purposes is not permitted.

















