Eurasian Otter

The Eurasian otter, recently radio-tagged in Satpura Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh), is the first-ever otter of its kind to be tagged there.

• Other otter species found in India include the Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea).

About the Eurasian Otter:

• Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) is a semiaquatic carnivorous mammal native to Eurasia and Maghreb.
• It’s the most widely distributed otter species and is also known as the European otter, Eurasian River otter, European river otter, common otter, and Old-World otter.
• Its habitat includes freshwater bodies, with occasional foraging in the sea, rivers, marshes, swamp forests, and coastal areas.
• Distribution encompasses Europe, Asia, and Africa, with specific presence in the Himalayan foothills, Southern Western Ghats, and the Central Indian landscape.
• Characteristics of the Eurasian Otter include brown fur, a thick tail, short legs, webbed feet for aquatic life, and the ability to close its ears and nose underwater.
• Behavior is largely nocturnal and generally solitary, though sometimes they’re found in family groups consisting of a mother and her offspring.
• Conservation status: Classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, listed in Appendix I of CITES, and categorized under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.