- Otters are members of the Mustelid family which includes badgers,
polecats, martens, weasels, stoats and mink.
- There are 13 known species of otter in the world but the only one
found in the UK is the European (or Eurasian) otter (Lutra lutra).
- Length: Average 1.2m (dogs), 1m (bitches)
- Weight: Average 10.3kg (dogs), 7.4kg (bitches)
- Colour: Medium to dark brown above and lighter underneath.
- Diet: Mainly fish, but also birds, small mammals, amphibians, crustaceans
and molluscs.
- Breeding: Only once every 2 years as the cubs remain dependent on
their mother for a year.
- Gestation: 9 weeks
- Offspring: 1-4 cubs
- Lifespan: Average 4 years due to so many threats, although they can
live 8-12 years.
- Habitat: Mainly rivers, but also canals, marshes, small streams, ditches,
ponds and lakes. They also inhabit estuaries and coastal areas.
- Home range: Depends on food supply but can be from 1 km along a rich
coast to 40km along some rivers.
- Resting sites: Called Holts, often tree roots but also drains, caves
and holes in rockfalls. They will also rest above ground in vegetation,
sometimes called couches.
- Social structure: As otters are very territorial they tend to live
alone, except during mating and for a period, dependent on the mother,
after the cubs are born.
- Physical features: Short legs, webbed feet and claws, long stream-lined
body, small ears and a broad muzzle, sensitive whiskers around snout
to help detect prey, 2 layers of fur - a thick waterproof outer one
and a warm inner one.
- Otters can swim at speeds of 12km/hr underwater and can travel for
up to 400m before surfacing for air. When it dives, an otter closes
its nostrils and ears
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