font settings and languages

Font Size: Large | Normal | Small
Font Face: Verdana | Geneva | Georgia
Languages:

Lutra lutra

(European Otter;european River Otter;otter)

Overview

[ Back to top ]

Threatened

Threat status

Common Names

[ Back to top ]

Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Dutch:

Otter

Common Names in English:

Common Otter, European Otter, European Otter;european River Otter;otter

Description

[ Back to top ]

Habitat

Ecology: It is known from a wide variety of aquatic habitats , including highland and lowland lakes , rivers , streams , marshes, swamp forests and coastal areas. Otters have been found in the brackish waters below sea level in the Netherlands, up to 1,000 m and more in the Alps or the Pyrenees, and above 3,500 m in the Himalayas or 4,120 m in Tibet. It is very adaptable, using saltwater as well as freshwater habitats , sewerage systems in urban areas or rivers in Asia. In most parts of its range otter distribution is correlated with bank side vegetation. Otters in different regions may depend upon different features of the habitat, but the important component of otter habitat, for breeding purposes, is the presence of holes in the river bank, cavities among tree roots , piles of rock, wood or debris . The Eurasian otter avoids deep water . Their distribution in coastal areas, especially the location of holts, is strongly correlated with the presence of freshwater.[1]


List of Habitats:1.5Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry 1.6Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland 1.7Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level 1.8Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Swamp 3.6Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Moist 4.6Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded 5.1Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls ) 5.2Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent/Irregular Rivers/Streams/Creeks 5.3Wetlands (inland) - Shrub Dominated Wetlands 5.4Wetlands (inland) - Bogs , Marshes, Swamps, Fens , Peatlands 5.5Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) 5.6Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) 5.7Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) 5.8Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) 5.9Wetlands (inland) - Freshwater Springs and Oases 5.10Wetlands (inland) - Tundra Wetlands (incl. pools and temporary waters from snowmelt) 5.11Wetlands (inland) - Alpine Wetlands (includes temporary waters from snowmelt) 5.13Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Inland Deltas 5.14Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes 5.15Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes and Flats 5.16Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools 5.17Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools 9.7Marine Neritic - Macroalgal/Kelp 9.10Marine Neritic - Estuaries 12.1Marine Intertidal - Rocky Shoreline 12.2Marine Intertidal - Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars , Spits , Etc 12.4Marine Intertidal - Mud Flats and Salt Flats 12.5Marine Intertidal - Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) 13.4Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes 13.5Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Freshwater Lakes 15.1Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) 15.2Artificial/Aquatic - Ponds (below 8ha) 15.3Artificial/Aquatic - Aquaculture Ponds 15.7Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels ) 15.8Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land 15.9Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Encentrum lutra Wulfert

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 28-Oct-2003

Similar Species

[ Back to top ]

Members of the genus Lutra

There are approximately 61 species in this genus:

L. angustifrons · L. annectens · L. bravardi · L. californica · L. canadensis (Canadian Otter;river Otter) · L. canadensis canadensis (River Otter) · L. canadensis interior · L. canadensis lataxina · L. canadensis pacifica · L. canadensis preblei · L. canadensis sonora · L. canadensis subsp · L. canadensis vaga · L. capensis · L. chilensis · L. chinensis · L. cinerea · L. emerita · L. felina · L. gambianus · L. gracilis · L. incarum · L. indica · L. indigitatus · L. leptonyx · L. longicaudis · L. longicaudis annectens · L. longicaudis enudris · L. longicaudis longicaudis · L. longicaudis platensis · L. longicaudus · L. lovii · L. lutra (European Otter;european River Otter;otter) · L. lutra angustifrons · L. lutra barang · L. lutra chinensis · L. lutra hainana · L. lutra lutra (European Otter) · L. lutra monticola · L. lutra nair · L. lutra seistanica · L. maculicollis (Spotted-Necked Otter) · L. marina · L. mitis · L. monticolus · L. nippon (Blacksaddle Goatfish) · L. palaeindica · L. parilina · L. perspicillata · L. perspicillata perspicillata · L. platensis · L. poensis · L. provocax · L. roensis · L. simplicidens · L. simung · L. stelleri · L. sumatrana (Hairy-Nosed Otter) · L. tarayensis · L. trinacriae · L. vulgaris

More Info

[ Back to top ]

Further Reading

[ Back to top ]

Notes

[ Back to top ]

Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 18, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Reuther, C. & Hilton-Taylor, C. 2004. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 19, 2008. [back]
Last Revised: 2009-04-24