📷 Bernard Landgraf · CC BY-SA 3.0
📷 kallerna
📷 Michael Gäbler
IUCN: Near Threatened
Eurasian Otter
Lutra lutra
KingdomAnimalia›PhylumChordata›ClassMammalia›OrderCarnivora›FamilyMustelidae›GenusLutra
About
Eurasian otters are sleek mustelids superbly adapted for aquatic hunting, with streamlined bodies, webbed feet, and fur that traps insulating air. Mostly solitary and nocturnal, they patrol linear territories along waterways and mark boundaries with spraints. Pesticide and PCB pollution collapsed populations in western Europe in the mid-1900s; cleaner rivers and legal protection have since driven one of Europe's great wildlife recoveries.
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Rivers, lakes, marshes, coasts, and streams with clean water and bankside cover
🍃Diet Carnivore — fish, frogs, crayfish, crabs, and waterbirds
📏Size & Weight Body 57–70 cm; tail 35–45 cm
•weight 5–10 kg
⏳Lifespan 5–10 years wild
🗺Range Europe, Asia, and North Africa wherever clean fresh or coastal waters persist
MammalMustelid
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Rivers, lakes, marshes, coasts, and streams with clean water and bankside cover
🍃Diet Carnivore — fish, frogs, crayfish, crabs, and waterbirds
📏Size & Weight Body 57–70 cm; tail 35–45 cm
•weight 5–10 kg
⏳Lifespan 5–10 years wild
🗺Range Europe, Asia, and North Africa wherever clean fresh or coastal waters persist
Photo Credits
#1Bernard Landgraf · CC BY-SA 3.0
#2kallerna · Public domain
#3Michael Gäbler · CC BY 3.0
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