Otter
Otters are dusky brown (rather like milk chocolate) in colour, often with a paler throat and belly patch.
Otters are surprisingly big, with a male reaching 1.2 m from nose to tail and weighing about 10 kg.
That is similar to a large dog. Females are slightly smaller, about 0.9 -1.0m metres in length and on average 7.5 kg.
Otters eat mostly fish, and so rely on good fish populations.
They need about 1.5 kg of fish or other food each day.
Otters eat all species of fish available to them, including bullhead, pike, trout, carp etc.
Smaller individuals and species are generally favoured, possibly because they are slower than larger fish.
Otters also eat amphibians, crayfish and the occasional bird and small mammal.
Otters are mostly nocturnal, though they are sometimes seen during the day.
Otters do not hibernate but are active all year round, whatever the weather.
Their trails (footprints and tail) can sometimes be found in fresh snow near water.
They may even slide down a snowy bank for fun.
A male otter may use 20-40km of river, tributary becks and associated ponds and wetlands as its ‘home range’ (undefended territory).
Females have much smaller ranges of 10-20km.
Within its home range an otter uses many resting-places, which it may use regularly or only occasionally.
These may be holes amongst riverside tree roots, outlying badger setts or enlarged rabbit burrows.
Otters also rest above ground in patches of scrub such as bramble and even in undisturbed areas of tall grass.
Otters can breed at any time of year. A female otter gives birth to 1 to 3 (occasionally up to 5) cubs, after a pregnancy lasting 63 days.
They are born blind and helpless with a covering of fine grey fur, in a secluded ‘natal holt’ (breeding den), which is often away from the main river and must be completely undisturbed.
The mother may move them to another holt if she is concerned about their safety.
The cubs start venturing from the holt after about 2 months.
They are gradually weaned and learn to swim, and their mother teaches them the skills to survive.
After about 12 months, when they can hunt and fend for themselves, they leave their mother to find their own stretch of river.
Life expectancy is thought to be up to seven years in the wild, although the first year after leaving their mother is the most dangerous as they learn to fend for themselves.
Otters are surprisingly big, with a male reaching 1.2 m from nose to tail and weighing about 10 kg.
That is similar to a large dog. Females are slightly smaller, about 0.9 -1.0m metres in length and on average 7.5 kg.
Otters eat mostly fish, and so rely on good fish populations.
They need about 1.5 kg of fish or other food each day.
Otters eat all species of fish available to them, including bullhead, pike, trout, carp etc.
Smaller individuals and species are generally favoured, possibly because they are slower than larger fish.
Otters also eat amphibians, crayfish and the occasional bird and small mammal.
Otters are mostly nocturnal, though they are sometimes seen during the day.
Otters do not hibernate but are active all year round, whatever the weather.
Their trails (footprints and tail) can sometimes be found in fresh snow near water.
They may even slide down a snowy bank for fun.
A male otter may use 20-40km of river, tributary becks and associated ponds and wetlands as its ‘home range’ (undefended territory).
Females have much smaller ranges of 10-20km.
Within its home range an otter uses many resting-places, which it may use regularly or only occasionally.
These may be holes amongst riverside tree roots, outlying badger setts or enlarged rabbit burrows.
Otters also rest above ground in patches of scrub such as bramble and even in undisturbed areas of tall grass.
Otters can breed at any time of year. A female otter gives birth to 1 to 3 (occasionally up to 5) cubs, after a pregnancy lasting 63 days.
They are born blind and helpless with a covering of fine grey fur, in a secluded ‘natal holt’ (breeding den), which is often away from the main river and must be completely undisturbed.
The mother may move them to another holt if she is concerned about their safety.
The cubs start venturing from the holt after about 2 months.
They are gradually weaned and learn to swim, and their mother teaches them the skills to survive.
After about 12 months, when they can hunt and fend for themselves, they leave their mother to find their own stretch of river.
Life expectancy is thought to be up to seven years in the wild, although the first year after leaving their mother is the most dangerous as they learn to fend for themselves.
