|
 |
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Eurasian otter - LUTRA LUTRA
Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Otter": "Otter" comes from the Old English word "otor," for the animal.
Location: Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Habitat: Aquatic. Streams, lakes and rivers.
Description: The long, streamlined body of this otter is well adapted to aquatic life. The coat is dense, glossy brown, and waterproof. In adults there is often a white patch on the throat. The head is broad and flattened, and the ears, which close off when the otter dives underwater, are almost completely concealed by the coat. The legs are short, the feet are webbed, and have five toes with small claws. It grows a little less than three feet long, with a tail adding almost another two feet. It can weigh up to 35 pounds.
Behavior: This otter is generally solitary except during the mating season, and is active mainly at night. It preys on fish, waterfowl, and other birds and freshwater crayfish and other invertebrates. It digs a den that has an underwater entranceamong the vegetation on the riverbank.
Reproduction: It reproduces throughout the year, and gestation lasts for about 60 days. The litter has two or three young, which nurse for two to three months. They may remain in a family group for as long as a year, and they reach adult size at about two years of age.
Note: In many areas, river otters have disappeared because of overhunting by man for the fur, or because it is considered to be a pest. Also because of pollution in rivers and lakes.
Go to the Carnivore Page to learn more about all the meat-eating animals.
Or go to the Otter Index to study other
otters.
From Address Labels to Zoo Toys... All Creatures Great and Small You'll Find It at the America Zoo Gift Shop Realistic Stuffed Animals & Animal Figurines Wildlife Decor for Your Home Animal Books, Magazines, and Educational Materials A Wide Variety of Wildlife Gifts & Apparel and Much, Much More  ↓ For Your Favorite Little Animal Lover ↓
Home Animal Research Library About AmericaZoo
|
