What does an otter eat in a pond. River otter (photo): a wonderful swimmer of the weasel family. Lifestyle and social behavior

Otter

The whole territory of Belarus

Cunya family (Mustelidae).

In Belarus, this is a common species that more densely populates aquatic ecosystems in the northern and central regions. Few. The wider distribution of the otter in the northern part of the republic is due to the presence of a large number of lakes there, rich in fish - its main food. Belarusian otters belong to the nominal subspecies L. l. lutra.

Body length of adult males 64-88 cm, adult females 56-74 cm; body weight - respectively 6.5-12 kg and 5.6-8.5 kg. The tail length of adult males is 33-57 cm, in females 35-50 cm. The length of the foot is 11-13.5 cm, the ear is 1.0-1.5 cm, the height at the withers is 25-30 cm. Savitsky and others (2005). Body length 46-117 cm, tail 21.7-55.0 cm, feet 8.5-13.6 cm, ear 2.0-2.8 cm. Body weight of males 5.8-12.0 kg, females 2.8-8.5 kg. Sexual dimorphism appears already in the first year of life.

The body is elongated, flexible, somewhat thickened in the back. The limbs are short, relatively thick; fingers are connected by a well-developed membrane. The front paws have movable joints and thin, sharp claws that help with foraging in the water, although the otter mainly fishes with its jaws. However, such paws are not well suited for digging, and the otter uses ready-made cavities as shelters. The tail is long, thick at the base and gradually tapering towards the end. The neck is thick, the head is small, strongly flattened, with a short, blunt muzzle. The ears barely protrude from the hairline. Juveniles are much smaller than adults. Differences between females and males in size and body weight appear in the first year of life.

Teeth 36. Canine teeth are thin, long and very sharp. Thanks to the design of the dental system, the killing and chewing of animals living in the water, which have a relatively hard cover (scales in fish, shell in crayfish).

The hairline is formed by a stiff, relatively low awn and a soft, low and very dense undercoat. Otter fur is considered the standard of strength. The color of the hairline on the back is dark brown, less often brown, lighter on the sides, with a reddish tinge. The belly is noticeably lighter than the sides and often with an admixture of slight yellowness. The chin, throat, chest, and cheeks are much lighter than the belly and with a well-defined silvery tint. In young otters, the luster is absent and the fur is darker.

The molting of the otter, like that of most semi-aquatic animals, is extended and hardly noticeable. This can be seen from the fact that its summer fur differs very little in density from winter fur and is somewhat lighter than it.

The otter is a predator specialized in eating fish, so its whole life passes near water bodies and their shores. It prefers fast-flowing, relatively full-flowing rivers with steep banks overgrown with trees and shrubs. Much less often this animal can be found on slow-flowing rivers and reclamation canals. On lakes, reservoirs and fish ponds, the otter lives mainly only in the warm season, since during the freeze-up, aquatic food from these reservoirs becomes almost inaccessible to it. Optimal conditions Otter habitats in Belarus are created on moderately flowing medium rivers with moderately watered and slightly watered floodplains, fast-flowing small rivers with medium waterlogged floodplains, where its potential density exceeds 4.0 individuals per 10 km of watercourse. On other types of watercourses, including artificial ones, the potential density of otters is from 0.7 to 2.4 individuals per 10 km.

The otter is not attached to a chosen reservoir or a certain part of it. She stays in it as long as there is a sufficient amount of fish or other food. As soon as the reservoir becomes poor, the otter looks for a new feeding place.

The otter swims and dives well. A streamlined flexible body, swimming membranes on its paws, a mobile tail, dense and waterproof hairline, valves that close the auditory canals and nostrils that close when diving help her in this. When the otter is not in a hurry, it swims, paddling with its paws. When moving quickly, the paws are pressed against the body and it begins to move due to the wriggling body and tail. An otter can stay under water for about 4 minutes. (even longer in case of danger), then usually emerges, replenishes air supplies and again plunges into the water in search of food. On land, it usually moves in jumps, less often in steps. Otter jumps are small, the distance between groups of tracks reaches 20-35 cm.

The permanent refuge of the otter is usually a hole. She digs holes herself rarely and reluctantly, more often uses natural blurs, expanding them a little and correcting them. In the conditions of Belarus, abandoned and rarely used beaver buildings of a residential type (burrows, koblas, semi-huts, huts) serve as shelters for otters. Sometimes it settles in residential areas, surviving the beaver itself. But usually the otter does not harm the beaver and easily gets along next to him. An otter has approximately 10 to 30 roosts in its home range. They are located unevenly and are mainly confined to more forage areas of the reservoir. Temporary shelters - heaps of rubbish thrown ashore by hollow water, hollows of fallen or obliquely growing trees, haystack decks located near the water, or simply banks covered from above by overhanging roots of coastal vegetation. In such shelters, the otter sometimes even gives birth and feeds cubs. However, usually the brood shelter of the female who has given birth is a small chamber lined with dry grass and usually located above the flood water level, which has 1-3 exits.

The otter leads a hidden lifestyle. You can most often find out about its presence in the water only by paw prints, droppings or food residues found in the summer on sandy shallows of reservoirs, and in winter - on the snow near ice holes. She comes out to feed at dusk and goes to rest at dawn. In the middle of the night and especially during daylight hours, they usually rest in one of the shelters. At night, in the warm season, they often use open beds on the shore of the reservoir for recreation. However, it cannot be called an exclusively nocturnal animal. In calm and quiet places, it can sometimes be seen during the day. In winter, she hunts often only during the day. Often in different time For days, otters rest in a dry place in thickets of high-stemmed grassy vegetation, also near a reservoir.

The diet of the otter is usually made up of aquatic animals, but crayfish and fish are the most preferred food. In relatively large water bodies of Belarus (large and medium rivers, lakes), the occurrence of fish in the diet of the otter is 56-88%, in small water bodies (small rivers, reclamation canals) - 21-60%. The basis of the otter's diet is fish weighing up to 200 g. These are mainly perch, ruff, pike, roach, silver bream, ide, bleak, crucian carp and loach. Fish weighing 300-500 g or more is caught by the otter relatively rarely. As for crayfish, they do not always live in a reservoir developed by an otter. The occurrence of crayfish in the diet of the otter can be up to 53%. The otter makes up for the lack of food for fish and crayfish with amphibians (mainly grass and pond frogs). Less commonly, it eats insects (mainly swimmers and their larvae), molluscs, reptiles (already, lizards), near-water birds and small mammals (water vole, muskrat). Significant seasonal changes in the diet of the otter are observed only in small rivers and are completely determined by the dynamics of the abundance and availability of the main food. Thus, in small streams, the proportion of fish increases significantly during spawning, and the proportion of amphibians increases significantly during the autumn concentration of common frogs near streams for wintering and during its early spring activation and spawning.

Julia Pivovarova, "Divin - Great Forest" nature reserve, Kobrin district, Brest region

The daily requirement of an otter for food is about 1 kg. For food, it uses various ways: sudden attack, usually without stalking (sedentary fish) or with stalking (waterfowl, muskrat), pursuit (moving fish) and gathering (amphibians, crayfish, insects, mollusks). The otter eats small food on the surface of the water immediately after its extraction. She pulls a larger prey onto the shore or onto the trunk of trees that have fallen into the water and then eats it. The otter usually does not store food and gets as much food as it can eat. Rarely enough, one or several dead fish and several frogs immobilized by bites to the head can be found as an otter food supply.

But during the freezing period, the feeding conditions for the otter deteriorate greatly. Not being able to stay under water for a long time, the otter in winter sticks to ice-holes, non-freezing streams and banks, where there are voids under the ice formed by a decrease in the water level.

In the initial period of freeze-up, otters enter the reservoir through unfrozen rapids, abandoned or rarely used beaver buildings. Later, with a decrease in the water level, voids form under the ice, called empty ice. The ice in such places often settles, breaks through, and thus opens up access for the otter to the reservoir. Sometimes an otter may not appear on the surface for several days.

Otters live alone or in families consisting of an adult female mother and her cubs. Along with individuals that relatively constantly develop a certain area of habitat, the otter population contains quite a few nomadic individuals that do not have one and move through a vast system of reservoirs. Individual or family habitats are constantly marked by otters in clearly visible, somewhat prominent places, which are trees that have fallen into the water, large stones, the edges of sandbars, bank ledges, etc. Most often, otters mark the boundaries of habitats, shelters, and the coast in the main places of foraging, as well as places of rest and drying of hair, etc. For marking, excrement, urine and secretions of prianal glands are used. In places of permanent marking, latrines are formed, which are important in the regulation of the use of the territory. However, despite the pronounced territorial behavior, otters do not fight when they meet, and after performing the ritual of sniffing each other, accompanied by secretions of urine and prianal gland secretions on the ground, they usually disperse, although sometimes they may accompany each other for some time.

Julia Pivovarova, "Divin - Great Forest" nature reserve, Kobrin district, Brest region

On large and medium rivers, the territorial behavior of otters is less pronounced, since favorable living conditions weaken competitive relations. Therefore, in such reservoirs, their habitats are unstable and strongly overlap. On the contrary, in small streams they are relatively constant and more delimited. The size of habitats on small rivers with a natural channel is mainly determined by feeding conditions and is 3-7 km, and on reclamation canals 6-10 km.

The relationship between the otter and the European mink is fairly neutral. These species of aboriginal fauna quite successfully divided the developed resources and compete little. Unlike the otter, which is concentrated in more full-flowing rivers, European minks often live in streams and shallow rivers, and they mainly use frogs as food, as well as crayfish, relatively large aquatic insects and fish, but much smaller than the otter. The European mink has never been numerous in the main otter habitats, so that the main parts of their populations are biotopically demarcated. On the contrary, the acclimatized American mink, which is ecologically different from the European mink in many respects, develops aquatic ecosystems in such a way that it often enters into some competitive relations with the otter. It depends on the size of the reservoir, the abundance and availability of food and other factors. On large and medium rivers and glacial lakes, their relations in the use of resources are more neutral, on small rivers with a natural channel - weak and moderate competitive relations, and on reclamation canals, rather significant competition is typical in the use of the same resources - fodder, places of access to water and shelters. . It is likely that the competitive pressure of the otter limits the population density of the American mink.

Female otters reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 years, and males more often at the age of 3-4 years. Mating can probably occur throughout the year, but more often in February-March, less often in August-September.

Several males can take care of the female, between which fights constantly arise and the strongest of the males remains with the female. However, a violation of the sex composition and a decrease in the density of the otter population as a result of irrational fishing leads to the fact that a significant part of the females remain unfertilized.

The duration of pregnancy, like other mustelids, varies greatly due to the presence of latent stage, and can range from 51 days to 13 months. Childbirth in females can occur from April to November, but in most cases they are timed to coincide with the spring or autumn months. In a brood 1-4, usually 2-3 cubs. The cubs are in the nest and feed on mother's milk for 2-3 months. Often after feeding, the female carefully massages the tummies of babies with her tongue, thus contributing to normal digestion.

Julia Pivovarova, "Divin - Great Forest" nature reserve, Kobrin district, Brest region

From the age of one and a half months, the otters begin to eat the food brought by the female: fish, crayfish, amphibians. The mother often brings the prey alive, and the cubs kill it on their own. Having satiated, the otters play with the remnants of food, fight and chase, taking them away from each other. From the same age, the mother begins to teach the cubs to swim and dive. Feeding the young, teaching them how to get food, choosing and arranging shelters and dwellings, marking the territory and other skills is also carried out by the mother. At the age of 8-10 months, the otters become relatively independent, but the female feeds the young, and when she dies, the brood usually dies of exhaustion. Young otters stay at the mother's habitat for at least a year, more often up to a year and a half.

The male, apparently, does not take part in the upbringing of the young; after mating, he leaves the female and lives on his own, sometimes joining the brood only during the hunt.

The life expectancy of an otter in captivity is 13-15 years, but most often in natural conditions, only a few individuals live up to 8-10 years, and on average 3-5 years. The main reason for the death of otters is their prey by humans. Apart from humans, the otter has no enemies. An old otter easily defends itself against a dog and a fox. Large pikes and catfish can attack young ones. Otters also die from various diseases. Demographic indicators are very dependent on the intensity of fishing. Therefore, life expectancy has minimum values for intensively exploited populations, and maximum values for their reliably protected populations in some reserves.

The longer life expectancy, the greater the proportion of adults and the smaller the proportion of young individuals in the age composition of populations. In Belarus, the proportion of young individuals in the otter population is 21-29%, of mature individuals 56-69%.

Otters are well tamed. A tamed otter is very funny, affectionate and obedient.

Julia Pivovarova, "Divin - Great Forest" nature reserve, Kobrin district, Brest region

In the second half of the twentieth century. in the northern part of the republic (Vitebsk region) in the 70s. was concentrated about a third of the populations of this species, in the 90s. more than 70%. In the 90s. the highest density of individuals per 1000 hectares of wetlands was noted in Grodno (6.2) and Mogilev (4.1) regions, almost 2 times lower in Minsk (2.7) and Vitebsk (2.5), the lowest in Gomel (1.5) and Brest (1.0) regions.

In the first half of the 1980s. the total number of otters in Belarus was about 3-3.5 thousand individuals. By 1990, it decreased to 2-2.5 thousand. According to other estimates, at the end of the 80s - beginning of the 90s. the number of otters was estimated from 7 to 12 thousand individuals.

The number of otters living in the hunting grounds of Belarus in 2013 was 6,720 individuals.

Julia Pivovarova, "Divin - Great Forest" nature reserve, Kobrin district, Brest region

3. Grichik V. V., Burko L. D. " Animal world Belarus. Vertebrates: textbook. allowance "Minsk, 2013. -399 p.

4. Serzhanin I. N. "Mammals of Belarus". Edition 2nd. Minsk, 1961. -321s.

5. Savitsky B. P. Kuchmel S. V., Burko L. D. "Mammals of Belarus". Minsk, 2005. -319s.

The river otter is a predatory mammal that lives more often in estuaries, less often on lakes and ponds.

This is a nimble, nimble and playful animal. In the recent past, its range extended for many kilometers, unfortunately of the old times, many of these places cannot be returned through the fault of man, she left forever and will never return to them.

Appearance

Outwardly, its appearance strongly resembles. In general, the muscles of the animal are well developed; it is a fairly large and strong predator.

Body weight varies from 6 to 12 kg. The length of the elongated, elastic and streamlined body can reach from 55 to 100 cm. The length of the not fluffy, but rather muscular tail is 25 - 54 cm.

On four short limbs there are skin membranes that contribute to efficient rowing under water. On the back of the animal, the fur is gray-brown, and the belly is silvery.

The fur of the animal is very delicate and fluffy, in contrast to the outer coarse hair. The undercoat is very dense, so the animal is not threatened with hypothermia, as it remains waterproof.

Range and habitat

We have already briefly mentioned its former range, it remains only to add that it lives in a small number in most of Europe, Asia, including North Africa. The exceptions are the Arabian Peninsula and the far north.

Habitat and lifestyle

This animal is very shy and tries to keep away from human presence, leads a predominantly nocturnal and solitary lifestyle. Only during the mating season they can be observed in small groups of no more than three individuals.

An adult male otter, going out to fish at dusk, is able to comb several reservoirs located within its territory; by the way, it can stretch along the river for 15 or even 17 kilometers. He carefully guards his rightful possessions and marks his area with feces. This tells other animals that this territory is occupied.

Unfortunately, it happens, sometimes fraught with the fact for animal life, when he moves from one lake to another, on the way he often gets into traps lined by local poachers and dies in them.

The area of possession of a female with cubs is extremely small, however, as a rule, it necessarily intersects with the territory of the male - the father of the brood. He can coexist with several females at the same time, and during the mating season - mate with them several times.

Food

The main delicacy in his diet is fish, but this species is picky about food, and can eat quite diversely, here are just a few examples; mammals, and fish included in its daily menu:

Water birds, for example; ;
Crayfish;
Young rabbits;
Acne:
Karasi:
Chebaki;
Scavengers;

But it is not full list, it can be continued and it will become much longer. The presence of eel fish in the pond gives our animal great pleasure and adds indomitable excitement, as this is the most favorite dish in its rich diet.

The trophy eats, getting out on aquatic algae or even on land near its lair. Young individuals start learning to swim quickly under water at the age of three months, because by this time the formation of a waterproof layer is completed.

reproduction

This unique creation of nature can breed all year round. When a female river otter starts rutting, the male finds her by smell and mates with her many times a day.

In the litter, there are from two to four cubs born in an underground hole located under the roots of trees growing near the coast. Occasionally, the female may borrow rabbit holes for living.

For the first month and a half, the cubs are extremely vulnerable; a caring mother feeds them with her nutritious and fatty milk. Only the female brings up the cubs, the male will be driven away after the babies are born.

After 10 months, they can go out under the cover of darkness to hunt on their own, and by the year they leave their native nest and go looking for uninhabited places.

Man and animal

In the past, a real hunt was carried out on the otter, as its fur and skin were in demand in many countries. The following black streak in the life of the animal came in the mid-50s, severe pollution of water bodies served as a colossal reduction in the population.

Once, quite a long time ago, fish farmers made an attempt on the life of an animal, because they considered it a real pest, which was capable, as it seemed to them, of destroying all the fish in the reservoir.

Red Book

In most countries, since the middle of the last century, the otter has been protected by law and is under the protection of the relevant services. In some countries of the European state, this type of animal is specially bred, then released into the wild.

Lifespan

In the wild, the common otter can live no more than 10 - 12 years.

The coat of the animal is covered with a fatty layer that does not allow to get wet and supercool.
The cub after birth weighs no more than 65 grams.
Swimming under water, she is able to hold her breath for a long time during this time the hunter can swim up to 400 meters.
The daily food intake should reach 20% of the total body weight of a fluffy animal.

Classification

View: Otter - Lutra lutra

Family: Kunya

Squad: Predatory

Class: mammals

Type of: chordates

Subtype: Vertebrates

Dimensions: d body length - 55 - 95 cm, tail - 26 - 55 cm; weight - 6 - 10 kg

Lifespan: up to 10 years

An agile and born swimmer, the river otter has long attracted the attention of man.

We appreciate the animal not only for its practical and durable fur, but also for its friendly character.

She gets along well in captivity, bringing joy to her owners with a high ability to learn and a completely peaceful disposition.

Habitat

The animal populated the whole of Western Europe, similarly mastered the vast territories of Asia, reaching the southern borders of Hindustan and China.

In their usual habitats, Sweden, Spain, Great Britain and Switzerland, the river otter, whose photos adorn various atlases of animals in these regions, was ruthlessly exterminated.

Today, attempts are being made to resettle the animal in its native lakes and reservoirs of these countries, but so far it is on the list of endangered species.

In terms of landscape, the animal prefers rivers with a fast current and a rocky bottom. It is desirable that the river is not wide, within 10 - 15 m.

The total number of the species is approximately 90 thousand individuals, which, of course, is a drop for the vast territory of the Earth.

Interesting! In the XVIII century, when hunting was a widespread commercial activity, the number of otters was 5 times greater than today.

As a representative of the mustelid family, the river otter is a very cunning and virtuoso hunter. The main object for hunting is a fish, which the animal catches up with a rapid speed.

Characteristic

The semi-aquatic lifestyle has left a solid imprint on the behavior and habits of the animal.

As a representative of the marten family, to which they belong, she is a very cunning and virtuoso hunter.
The main object for hunting is a fish, which the animal catches up with a rapid speed.
On land, he moves slightly hunched over, however, this does not affect his running speed.
An otter can easily run away from a person on the ground.
For permanent residence, he chooses places that are deaf, inaccessible to humans. To the detriment of the food base, she prefers safety for herself and her offspring.

Likes to hunt in the morning and evening twilight. Does not favor strong winds and snowfalls, lying in shelter for a long time.
The animal, like, is very secretive and cautious, constantly looking around, and never comes ashore in open areas. Near her dwelling, she covers the exit from the water with spruce branches or chooses places overgrown with shrubs.

Interesting! It is not uncommon to see adult otters and their cubs amusingly rolling down the slopes into the water. This is one of the animal's favorite pastimes.

Appearance

The offensive word "otter" is perceived by us as something unpleasant in appearance, and in vain.

How attractive the river otter looks, photos and descriptions for them will give a more complete idea to those who are not yet familiar with this wonderful animal.

She has a very funny muzzle, decorated with long sideburns.

The head is flattened from above, and there are no ears with rounded tips, familiar to mustelids. However, this does not detract from her external charm.
The body shape is fully adapted for swimming. Streamlined and smooth curves, high elongation, and a dense, narrowed to the end and flattened tail, help the animal move quickly in the water column.
The front legs of the otter are shortened, which also has a positive effect on its ability to swim.
In this species, males are usually larger than females.

It is for the high wear resistance of fur and its waterproofness that the otter is valued by lovers of warm and beautiful fur coats and short fur coats. Her fur is not cheaper than a fur coat.

Key Features

The main feature of the river otter is its semi-aquatic lifestyle.

Food

Most of the animal's diet falls on various types of fish.

Carp, trout, pike alternate with small roach and carp. On land, the animal hunts for rodents like wading birds, frogs.

It can eat a large beetle or mollusk.

In order to get food, the otter can visit the fish hole where it gathers a large number of various kinds fish.

She easily catches up with slow flocks and, bursting into their midst, snatches out the largest specimens.

The animal waits for lone predators among fish in ambush, attacking with lightning speed and not leaving the victim even a moment to save.

She also preys on small rodents.

reproduction

River otters are animals that lead a solitary lifestyle.

They have not set clear terms for mating, everything happens depending on the climatic conditions of the area where they live.

In the temperate zone, the mating season falls on March-April, and under the sky of foggy Albion and in countries with a warm climate, animals can breed all year round.

The river otter reaches sexual maturity by 2-3 years.

Pregnancy lasts about 8 months, which also affects the small number of the animal.

The female gives birth to few, only 2 - 4 cubs, which still need to be protected from enemies and the vagaries of the weather.

The mother otter is very brave, and may even be the first to rush to the one who, as she thinks, encroaches on the life of her offspring.

Baby otters grow quickly, but often stay with their mother until they are one year old.

However, if you have the opportunity to provide the animal with a deep reservoir of clean water and the opportunity to walk along the shore, then you can try to get such a pet.

Please note that the animal is emptied very often and liquid stool with an unpleasant odor. This is a consequence of the fish diet.

And this is another minus for trying to keep an otter at home.

Industrial breeding of the otter is carried out in large nurseries, in which the living conditions of the animal are created as close as possible to natural ones.

However, they do not cover all the needs of fashionistas and fur manufacturers, because the animal reproduces very slowly.

The animal is bred for fur, expensive and rare. Among experts, otter fur is considered a 100% standard of wear.

Dark-colored fur products look especially chic. The outer hair is coarse, but the downs are very soft and fluffy.

Sometimes designers resort to plucking the outer hair, and create amazing things covered with the most delicate underfur.

River otter: a wonderful swimmer of the weasel family

Despite the wide habitat, the river or common otter is classified as an endangered species and is under state protection.

area: all of Western Europe, most of Asia (south to Hindustan and southern China).
Attempts are being made to introduce otters in their native habitats in Switzerland, Sweden, Spain and the UK.

Description: the common otter is an agile and flexible animal, rather large, with a streamlined body shape. The head is small, flattened from above. The ears are short, rounded, barely protruding from the fur, set low on the sides of the head and equipped with flaps that close the auditory opening when immersed in water. The muzzle is short and broad, with long whiskers. The neck is thick and short, as wide as the head. Eyes small, round, set high good overview. Males are larger than females.
The paws are short, strong, with bare soles, with full swimming membranes between the toes. Nails are short and light. The tail is long, muscular, thick, flattened at the base, narrowed towards the end. The front legs of the otter are shorter than the hind legs, which allows them to swim well.
The body is covered with smooth fur, consisting of a coarser and shiny dark awn and a very dense, slightly wavy undercoat. The otter's fur does not get wet even when the animal is in the water, which helps maintain body temperature.
In spring and summer (during molting), the hairline changes imperceptibly and slowly. Summer fur - with a shorter, but dense awn and low undercoat.

Color: brown or dark brown fur, with a light brown undercoat. The sides are lighter, the belly is silvery, with a brownish or yellowish tint. Paws and tail are dark brown.

The otter makes a variety of sounds: chirping, screeching, hissing and whistling. Frightened by something, the beast hisses. Otters playing with themselves emit a peculiar chirping or chirping.

The size: tail length 50-55 cm, body 55-95 cm.

The weight: 7-10 kg.

Lifespan: up to 10 years.

Habitat: banks of rivers, lakes and streams, and sometimes sea coast. In mountainous areas, it settles in talus and cracks in rocks, along the banks of rivers and streams. Prefers rivers with fast flow, rocky bed, abundant with fish and diving ducks; in quiet, overgrown rivers is much less common. It rises along the rivers to a considerable height (up to 3000 m above sea level).
Optimal for the otter are medium-sized rivers, the width of which is about one and a half dozen meters. On such rivers in winter there are often gullies, polynyas or other non-freezing areas.

Enemies: eagles, wolves and lynxes.

Food: all kinds of aquatic (small and large fish up to 2-5 kg - carp, pike, trout) and terrestrial animals (aquatic and wading birds, rabbits and rodents), does not disdain frogs, shrimps, crabs, sometimes eats shellfish, beetles and others aquatic invertebrates.

Behavior: the otter is predominantly a nocturnal animal, and it spends the day in a hole or among washed roots. In the heat, it basks in the sun, lying on stones or a trunk that has fallen into the water. Hunts at dusk. Although otters can live in sea water, they need fresh water to drink.
External senses are well developed: smell, hearing and vision are excellent. In captivity, it is quickly tamed, knows the owner, loves to caress and play.
Up to ten kilometers can be covered in a day. The otter track is about 9 cm long and up to 6 cm wide. On loose snow, the body and tail leave a deep furrow.
He likes to walk along the same places and paths that he uses from year to year.
Otter droppings are liquid, most often found near water (on logs, stones and shallows) and contain undigested remains of prey. Otter latrines are fairly constant.
Under favorable conditions and an abundance of food, otters live in one place for a long time, but sometimes they make long transitions (up to 15-20 km) through waterless spaces. In winter, they keep near non-freezing reservoirs and polynyas.
There is no fat reserve, and fur is her only way to maintain body temperature in cold water.

A person has met a river otter for a long time. It was very difficult not to notice this animal with the skills of a born swimmer. The otter is of interest not only because of its practical and durable fur. This is a very friendly creature that can be kept in captivity without any problems. With proper upbringing, a river otter can be trained quite easily, as it is a rather peaceful animal that is not inclined to show aggression towards humans.

Characteristic

Because the river otter spends most of its life in the water This was reflected in her behavior and habits.

This animal belongs to the mustelid family, so it demonstrates the skills of a cunning hunter characteristic of its representatives.
The food for this animal is fish, which it is not difficult for an otter to catch up with.
While moving on land, the body of the animal looks slightly hunched, but even this allows it to develop a high running speed.
If a person meets an otter on the ground, then she can still run away from him.
The best place to build a dwelling are deaf places where people rarely visit. Even though there will be little food in the place of residence, the otter is more than satisfied, since this guarantees the safety of not only him, but also his offspring.
This animal usually goes hunting in the morning and evening twilight. During strong winds and snowfalls, the otter prefers not to go outside and stays in its shelter for a long time.
The otter is a very secretive and cautious animal that looks around all the time. It is very difficult to meet an otter in an open area on the shore. She also demonstrates stealth when arranging her house, masking the way out of the water with spruce branches or creating it in those places overgrown with shrubs.
The river otter is a rather good-natured animal that loves to play. Therefore, if you decide to have it in your home, then you will not be bored.

Appearance

When someone mentions an otter, we usually associate it with something that looks ugly. However, this animal does not correspond to this idea. She is looks pretty attractive, having a very funny muzzle that looks beautiful thanks to long sideburns.

This animal highly valued for its durable and waterproof fur, which is an excellent material for making warm and beautiful fur coats.

Habitat

The otter can be found throughout Western Europe, as well as in Asia. She is also not a rare guest near the southern border of Hindustan and China. The first representatives of this species were found in Greece, Spain, Great Britain and Switzerland, but rather soon their population disappeared, which was the result of active hunting for them. Experts who understand the high risk of complete extinction of otters are trying to create suitable housing for them on the lakes and reservoirs of these countries, but so far their attempts have not been particularly successful, and the otter is still on the list of endangered species.

This animal feels most comfortable on rivers with a fast current and a rocky bottom. She is likes narrow rivers about 10-15 m.

Today, the river otter has about 90 thousand individuals, which is very small, given the area of \u200b\u200bour planet.

Key Features

The otter differs from other representatives of the mustelid family in that it spends most of its time in the water. Therefore, she chooses for herself such habitats where there is a reservoir. According to experts, it is very important for this animal to have enough food, for which it can walk tens of kilometers on land. She is not inclined to stay in one place for a long time. It can only be kept by the presence of a sufficient amount of food.

The otter differs from other animals in that it and stays awake in winter. Therefore, at this time of the year, it can be seen near non-freezing water areas. Thanks to the presence of the polynya, this animal can lead its normal life, breathe and walk on land after a successful hunt.

Food

This animal is not picky about food, so it can eat various types of fish. The main food for otters are:

carp;
trout;
pike;
small roach;
carp.

When an otter is on land, it hunts rodents, wading birds and frogs. Also, she will not refuse a large beetle and mollusk.

In search of food, this animal can also look into the fish hole, where you can find many different types of fish. An easy prey for the otter are slow-moving flocks, which it easily catches up with and, being in the thick of the maliks, grabs the largest specimens.

Lonely predatory fish can also be of interest to the otter: in order to catch them, the otter sets up an ambush, from where it makes a lightning attack, as a result of which the victim has no chance to escape. She uses a similar tactic for hunting small rodents.

reproduction

Animals accustomed to living alone. Scholars do not have precise information about the periods in which they are usually disputed. Here it is necessary to take into account the climate of their habitat. In the temperate zone, these animals usually mate in March-April. But in Britain, as well as countries with a warm climate, these animals can bear offspring all year round.

Usually the otter starts breeding at the age of 2-3 years. The duration of pregnancy is approximately 8 months, and this does not allow maintaining a high number of representatives of this species. The female can bring at one time no more than two or four cubs. In the early years, offspring require special attention, as it must be protected not only from enemies, but also from the vagaries of the weather.

An otter mother during the period of bearing cubs demonstrates amazing caringness: she is ready to attack anyone if she has any suspicions that someone wants to harm her babies. because of rapid growth Otters do not stay with their mother for very long. Already upon reaching the age of one year, they leave their mother and begin an independent life.

If you want to adopt an otter, we advise you not to. But if you are determined, you can try. But keep in mind that you must create suitable conditions for this animal: the presence of a deep reservoir with clean water is mandatory. You must also create conditions for walking the animal along the shore.

Unlike other pets, the otter empties very frequently and loose stools which emits an unpleasant odour. This is due to the fact that she eats fish. This is another reason to think about whether to start an otter at home.

On an industrial scale, these animals are bred in large nurseries, where conditions are created that practically do not differ from natural ones. But even with appropriate care, even experienced breeders are not able to provide everyone with fur products. The thing is that these animals too rarely bring offspring.

They are valued primarily for expensive and rare fur. Many experts note that the fur of this animal is unrivaled in terms of wear resistance. Black fur products have the most spectacular appearance. They have coarse outer hair, but at the same time they have very soft and fluffy. If necessary, designers can create real masterpieces from otter fur: for this, they pluck out the outer hair, as a result, they get products of unusual beauty, covered with the most delicate underfur.

Conclusion

The river otter is a very interesting animal that is very difficult to meet, even knowing about its habits. The fact is that she behaves very secretly and never settles near human dwellings. At the first suspicion that she is being watched, she will immediately hide in her shelter. Therefore, it must be monitored very carefully. The river otter may seem like a funny animal to someone, so you may want to have it in the house. However, it is not recommended to do this, as this is a very troublesome business.

In addition to the fact that you have to create conditions for her as close to natural as possible, this animal can cause trouble with its frequent bowel movements which will give off an unpleasant odour. Therefore, if you have not yet lost the desire to keep a river otter at home, be prepared to put up with this shortcoming.