Otter
22 November 2010
The otter, at about 1 metre long, is one of our largest carnivores. Once widespread, otter numbers in England crashed from the late 1950s-late 1970s, largely due to pesticide pollution and habitat loss. Otters have now re-colonised much of their former range, apart from south east of England, making this a conservation success story.
Otter © pixonaut/istockphoto
Latin name: Lutra lutra
Population numbers:
No accurate figures are available, due to the methods used to record otter presence, but a series of national surveys has documented its natural recovery.
Where to see and when:
Otters can be found across a wide variety of still and running freshwater systems from the coast to the uplands. In coastal habitats they need to be close to freshwater pools to wash their coats free of salt to keep them insulated and in tip top condition. In freshwaters, otters are mainly active from dusk to dawn, though in coastal waters they are influenced by the tide and can be seen during the day.
What’s being done:
Conservation efforts initially focussed on the banning of certain organochlorine pesticides used in agriculture. A great deal of effort continues to be placed on water quality improvements as well as general bankside habitat improvement.
More information:
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Native plants, fungi and animals we featured each week for the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity.
