The otter lives. Sea otter (sea otter)

As is known, many species of mammals have only partially mastered water element. Water helps some of them to avoid danger, others get food in it, but in all cases the life of these animals remains closely connected with land. Among the mammals of the domestic fauna, some representatives of insectivores, rodents and carnivores lead such a lifestyle. They have adapted to living both on land and in water at the same time, that is, they are semi-aquatic animals. Among insectivores it is primarily the muskrat, and among rodents it is water vole, muskrat, nutria, beaver; among predators - mink, river otter, sea otter (or sea otter) and polar bear. They inhabit various inland reservoirs - rivers and their oxbows overgrown with aquatic vegetation, lake shores, and are also found in swamps. Some semi-aquatic rodents, such as the water vole, often go far from the water into fields in search of food. Semi-aquatic animals swim and dive beautifully, while on land many of them move no worse than terrestrial species of mammals.

A stronger connection with water is observed in representatives of marine semi-aquatic animals - pinnipeds and sea otters. They have adaptations to water image life has come so far that they feel much less confident on land than in water. However, unlike the other group marine mammals- cetaceans, they have maintained a strong connection with land, where they breed and feed their offspring, molt and rest. For these purposes, they use islands, coastal cliffs, sand spits or floating ice floes, as well as the coast of continents and coastal ice.

In landscape and environmental relations sea ​​coasts should be allocated into a separate, intrazonal unit, corresponding to the rank of the zone. The main factor characterizing all coastal habitats of animals is their location at the junction of two environments - water and land. Large group animals find the best nesting, feeding and protective conditions here. Therefore, it is the sea coasts that are characterized by such massive accumulations of animals at the most crucial time of their lives - during breeding periods, such as bird colonies and rookeries of sea animals. Let us recall that in the generalized concept of “sea animal” it is customary to include, first of all, numerous representatives of the order Pinnipeds, as well as the sea otter from the order Carnivora, which was once widespread on the shores of many island systems and continents in the northern part Pacific Ocean. As for pinnipeds, even now there are a total of about twenty million of them.

The active use of water as a habitat caused the appearance of a number of morphological features and specific behavioral traits in semi-aquatic animals. Life in water and on land, that is, in conditions of different physical characteristics environments could not but influence the methods of intraspecific communication between animals. In this regard, first of all, the question arises of whether this is reflected in the sound communication system of semi-aquatic animals, and also whether the hearing and sound signaling of these animals depend on the degree of their adaptation to aquatic environment? To do this, we will consider hearing and sound signaling in representatives of two different groups of mammals - rodents and pinnipeds.

The otter is a very interesting and cute animal. A massive round head with small eyes and short ears, a thick short neck, a torpedo-like body, a short flat tail, toeless front legs, flipper-like hind legs equipped with membranes - all this is very useful for life on the water! These animals rarely appear on the shore, because at sea they are both safer and much more comfortable.

How interesting it is to watch otters in their natural environment a habitat! Surely many have wondered where the otter lives, what it eats and what it is famous for in the animal world.

The sea otter (as this cute animal is also called) is ideally suited to living in coastal sea waters. Such an animal spends almost its entire life in the sea, sometimes getting out onto land. The otter can dive to a depth of 97 m and swim at speeds of up to 9 km/h. Moreover, all movements are incredibly graceful! The fatty lubricant of the animal's fur plays a big role in buoyancy.

But in modern world The waters are often polluted with petroleum products, which makes it very difficult for otters. This is a mortal danger for them!

Sea urchins play a big role here. Having collected a whole bunch of these creatures, the otter rises to the surface, lies on its back, and places food on its chest. After this, the sea otter carefully chews the shells of the hedgehogs and eats the eggs with pleasure. After the meal, “cleaning” occurs: the animal spins like a top and washes away the remaining food and mucus.

For example, the 1946 incident that occurred at Cape Lopatka (south of Kamchatka) is notorious. The tanker "Mariupol" ran aground and oil spilled onto the water. After this, all the sea otters in these places disappeared and appeared only six years later.

Having no previous negative experience of communicating with people, this animal shows incredible curiosity: it follows human activities with genuine interest, and closely examines unknown things.

The total hunt for this animal eventually led to their disappearance from almost all places natural habitat, although previously they lived in abundance on one and the other coast of the North Pacific Ocean from California to Japan, the Aleutian and Commander Islands, as well as near Alaska. There are not many places left where the otter lives, one of them is Kamchatka.

Otters endure captivity hard. They show nervousness when caught, and then refuse to eat, become stressed, stop caring for their fur, and often die from exhaustion or a cold. Because of this, the creation of sea otter nurseries is inhumane and impractical. This species needs to be saved by banning hunting for them, because, despite the fact that we do not live in the “Stone” Age, the killing continues!

The otter’s habitat dictates its appropriate feeding method and menu. This is the only marine mammal capable of breaking mollusk shells on pebbles picked up from the seabed. To such delicacies, sea otters also add fish, crabs, marine, bottom invertebrates, etc. to the menu.

Otter babies are born in water; they rarely swim more than 1 km from the shore. Unlike most pinnipeds, sea otters do not have dense subcutaneous fat that protects them from the cold, but an “air cushion” of bubbles located in long, thick and soft fur of black-brown or chestnut color comes to the rescue.

Most of the day the otter is busy searching for food. She is very gluttonous and eats food every day equal to 25% own weight. When hunting, the sea otter relies on its sensitive sense of touch, on vibrissae - hard whiskers growing on its muzzle. This “device” is capable of detecting the slightest water vibrations. Plus, incredibly dexterous front paws play a role in hunting.

The animal’s flat and wide molars are perfectly adapted to the sometimes “hard” menu (shells, shells), despite the fact that otters easily crush hard shells, strong teeth still do not hurt.

In the “dining” position, otter mothers also feed their cubs, who are born able to swim (but not yet dive). Up to 8 months, babies remain with their mothers. During this time, males stay away from females' territories.

It is quite obvious that the otter, the habitat of this animal, the species on which it feeds - all this needs protection and sensitive attitude of people. Keep such a wonderful view as sea ​​otter, for future generations is the duty of all modern humanity.

Sea otter or sea otter (Enhydra lutris) – carnivorous mammal Pacific coast, a representative of the mustelid family (Mustelidae), is the closest relative of otters. This one is cute sea ​​creature famous for his original appearance, unique habits and lifestyle.

The sea otter occupies a key position in the ocean community. Once upon a time, sea otters were found in the coastal waters of the entire northern Pacific: from Japan to California, but indefatigable fishing and changes environment led to a widespread reduction in their habitat. The waters of Eastern Kamchatka are one of the few available places, where you can still see these amazing animals today.

Sea otters are inhabitants of shallow coastal areas with depths not exceeding 100 meters.

Scientists distinguish three subspecies of these animals. The southern sea otter lives off the coast of California; the population numbers about 3 thousand individuals.

The northern sea otter's range occupies most of the North American coast: from California to the Aleutian Islands. They are most numerous in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, where they number up to 70 thousand individuals.

A third subspecies, the Asian sea otter, lives in Russian waters. According to various estimates, there are from 25 to 30 thousand individuals in the waters of the Kuril, Commander Islands, and Eastern Kamchatka.

What does a sea otter look like? Photo of sea otter

One of the first serious descriptions of the animal dates back to 1741 and is contained in “ Sea animals» Georg Steller. A young naturalist from the Second Kamchatka Expedition, Vitus Bering, during a harsh winter on the Commander Islands, observed the nature of this remote Pacific corner and described the animals and nature of the island. “The sea otter looks like an overgrown otter: a compact round head, an elongated body with short legs and a thick tail,” wrote Vitus Bering.

The sea otter is the largest representative of the mustelid family, and is the only one of this family that is entirely a marine animal. The body length of adult males can reach 1.3 m in length, body weight often reaches 45 kg. Females are noticeably smaller.

According to the shape of the head and general structure The sea otter's body resembles a river otter, but it is much more massive, and its body is more elongated. The front paws are small, the toes are almost not pronounced; The hind legs are large and flipper-shaped. The head of the animal is round, the neck is short and thick. The slightly flattened muzzle is decorated with a large black nose and thick whiskers. The animal's ears are small, almost invisible on the head.

In the photo, the sea otter shows off its magnificent fur.

Why does a sea otter need warm fur?

The animal's fur is very thick, soft and silky. Its color varies from brown to almost black; light brown color is rare. By advanced age, the animal’s fur acquires a noble light silver hue.

Indigenous people have hunted sea otters for their incredible fur for centuries. The surviving members of the Bering expedition can also thank the beast for successful wintering, however, for the sea otter itself the consequences were catastrophic. Since then, Russian and American fishermen have begun to mercilessly kill sea otters, supplying the most valuable fur to the European market.

Why is sea otter skin so good? The sea otter looks like a typical land animal, but spends a significant part of its life in the water. The thermal conductivity of water is several times higher than that of air, which means that heat conservation is especially important for aquatic mammals. Nature has awarded the sea otter the thickest fur in the world: the density of hairs is up to 150 thousand per square centimeter. Long guard hairs (2-4 cm) form the mechanical frame of the protective layer, and air is retained between short (0.5-3 cm) downy hairs, which retards the transfer of heat to the external environment.

A warm fur coat requires constant care. Lying on their backs in the waves, adult animals scratch themselves from nose to tail with their front paws. Animals spend over 10% of their time cleaning their coats. Just as we fluff up a pillow before going to bed, they rub the skin, renewing the insulating air layer. Their mothers take care of the fur of the cubs. During courtship, males gently stroke females.

Such a reverent attitude towards their fur leaves a certain imprint on social relations: fights between these animals are extremely rare, because even a trifling wound can disrupt the integrity of the heat-insulating layer and lead to hypothermia. Therefore, the clarification of relationships between males is limited to demonstrative poses and threats. And if animals bite, it is on the nose, and mainly during mating games.

Hunting Talents

The basis of the sea otter's diet is bottom invertebrates: sea urchins, crabs, octopuses. On occasion, they also eat fish, but this is not their main food source. Sea otters consume more than 150 species of animals, but only 10-20 are the main ones in their diet. Cubs prefer to feed on the same types of invertebrates as their mothers.

To survive, a sea otter needs to eat an amount of food daily that is up to 20-25% of its own weight. Intelligence, dexterity and possession of some unique skills help the animal get enough food.

The sea otter collects most of its food items from the bottom. For digging bivalves he uses the following tactics: he actively digs with his front paws, and at the same time makes circular movements with his back paws to stay near the bottom. At the same time, he plunges his muzzle into the hole, looking for a mollusk. The animal can remain under water from 30 to 60 seconds and dives to the same hole three or more times to enlarge it and pick up all the mollusks found.

Having collected food for itself (it often places it in thick folds on the stomach or in a fold of skin under the armpit), the animal floats to the surface and begins to eat. Large rounded molars are well suited for crushing shells sea ​​urchins and abalone and mussel shells. But smart animals created their own unique food culture - using stones to open the shell. It should be noted here that tool use among non-primates is extremely rare. Sea otters are high-order predators.

So, to open the shell, the sea otter finds a stone (usually a flat stone with a diameter of up to 18 cm), rolls over on its back, places the stone on its chest and uses it as an anvil. Firmly holding a shell in its mitten-like front paws, the animal hits the stone with force. A few blows are enough to break it. The sea otter then extracts the contents with its protruding lower incisors. In places where there are no stones, but only sand and clay, the animal uses one shell as a hammer and the other as an anvil. After lunch, the animal carefully cleans its coat of food debris.

The sea otter consumes most of the necessary moisture with food, although, unlike other marine mammals, it is able to drink sea water.

Family matters

The structure of sea oat society is extremely variable. Foraging for food or mating rituals do not require collective action, so adult animals can often be found alone. They can also form groups of different composition. The strongest social bonds are in mother-calf pairs. There are also groups of adolescent males and groups of adult males. However, uneven distribution and lack of feeding places lead to the formation of sea otter aggregations. Often, while resting, dozens of animals lying together form a real living raft. Perhaps this is done to protect against sharks and killer whales.

The largest gatherings can number up to several hundred individuals. Oddly enough, strangers are easily accepted into such isolated groups, which is actually not very typical for mammals. Approaching a cluster of relatives, the sea otter moves its head from side to side. This is not only a kind of greeting, but also a way to receive more information thanks to sniffing other individuals. Sometimes sea otters wrap themselves in long algae thalli to anchor themselves in their resting place.

Sea otters do not have a specific breeding season. Males may spend several days with a female in heat, but never stay with her for long. At any other time, males are not very fond of females and may even take prey from them.

Sea otters have one interesting feature, which is not often found in animals: delayed embryonic development. The pause between fertilization and the beginning of embryonic development can last 2-3 months, so that childbirth occurs at the optimal time for this. The pregnancy itself lasts from 6 to 8 months.

Usually 1 cub is born, only in rare cases are twins born, then one of them, as a rule, dies. Females can become very attached to their babies. It happens that even after six months, when the cub reaches the size of an adult, the mother does not stop combing it, holding it on her chest.

Conservation in nature

IN late XIX– at the beginning of the 20th century, the number of sea otters declined catastrophically due to hunting for them valuable fur. The species was on the verge of extinction. In 1911, the USA, Great Britain, Russia and Japan entered into an agreement banning the hunting of these animals. Since then, there has been a constant increase in the number of species from 1,500 individuals at the beginning of the 20th century to 100,000 at present.

However, sea otters continue to be at risk of extinction. Habitat degradation and water pollution are more severe today than ever before. current problems. A stark reminder that human activity can jeopardize the survival of a population in an instant is the 1989 tanker sinking in Prince William Sound. Horrible oil pollution led to the death of 5,000 sea otters.

Wildlife sanctuaries and other protected marine habitats play a key role in the conservation of these amazing animals. In Kamchatka, these are the water areas of the South Kamchatka Nature Reserve and the Kronotsky Nature Reserve. Such coastal waters are the main habitat of the sea otter. Protected waters include bays, bays and islands teeming with marine life. Restrictions economic activity and disturbances from vessel traffic help preserve the natural diversity of marine communities. Sea otters calmly go about their business - looking for food, sleeping or cleaning themselves, without noticing the approach of a boat. And if you are lucky enough to see a sea otter, do not scare it when you meet it, watch how it dissects a hedgehog or takes care of its fur coat.

In contact with

Lutra lutra listen)) is a species of predatory mammals of the mustelidae family, leading semi-aquatic image life; one of three types genus of otters ( Lutra). In the literature, the word “otter” usually means this species. According to statistical data in Russia in 2006, the otter population was about 15 thousand individuals. In America, in Alaska and Washington state, as well as Colombia, there are approximately 70 thousand, 2.5 thousand off the coast of California and about ten in Japan. There are approximately 88 thousand otters in the world, which is only a fifth of the number in the mid-18th century.

Appearance

Otter - large animal with an elongated, flexible, streamlined body. Body length - 55-95 cm, tail - 26-55 cm, weight - 6-10 kg. The paws are short, with webbed swimming. The tail is muscular and not fluffy.

Fur color: dark brown above, light, silver below. The guard hairs are coarse, but the underfur is very thick and delicate. The structure of her body is adapted for swimming underwater: flat head, short legs, a long tail and non-wetting fur.

Spreading

The most widespread representative of the otter subfamily. It is found over a wide area, covering almost all of Europe (except the Netherlands and Switzerland), Asia (except the Arabian Peninsula) and North Africa. In Russia it is absent only in the Far North.

Lifestyle and nutrition

The otter leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, swimming, diving and getting food in the water.

She lives mainly in forest rivers, rich in fish, less often - in lakes and ponds. Found on the sea coast. It prefers rivers with whirlpools, with rapids that do not freeze in winter, with washed-out banks littered with windbreaks, where there are many reliable shelters and places for making burrows. Sometimes it makes its lairs in caves or, like a nest, in thickets near the water. The entrance holes of its burrows open under water.

The hunting grounds of one otter in summer comprise a section of the river ranging from 2 to 18 km long and about 100 m deep coastal zone. In winter, when fish stocks are depleted and wormwood freezes, it is forced to wander, sometimes directly crossing high watersheds. At the same time, the otter descends from the slopes, rolling down on its belly and leaving a characteristic trace in the form of a gutter. On ice and snow it travels up to 15-20 km per day.

The otter feeds mainly on fish (carp, pike, trout, roach, gobies), and prefers small fish. In winter it eats frogs, and quite regularly eats caddisfly larvae. In summer, in addition to fish, it catches water voles and other rodents; In some places it systematically hunts waders and ducks.

Social structure and reproduction

Otters are solitary animals. Mating, depending on climatic conditions, occurs in the spring (March - April) or almost all year round(in England). Otters mate in the water. Pregnancy - with a latent period reaching up to 270 days; The gestation period itself is only 63 days. There are usually 2-4 blind cubs in a litter.

Otters reach sexual maturity in their second or third year.

Economic importance

Notes

Links

Categories:

• Animals in alphabetical order
• Species out of danger
• Otters
• Semi-aquatic mammals
• Mammals of Europe
• Mammals of Asia
• Animals described in 1758
• Red Data Book of the Sverdlovsk Region

Wikimedia Foundation.

2010.:

Synonyms

See what "Otter" is in other dictionaries: Otter - Lutra lutra see also 3.4.6. Genus River otters Lutra Otter Lutra lutra (body length 70-75 cm, tail 40-50 cm). The body is elongated, the tail is strong, thick at the base, gradually tapering towards the end. The head is flattened, the muzzle is wide, blunt, ears... ...

Animals of Russia. Directory Sea otter; Ash tree, thin as a sliver, skinny, mymra, power beyond the grave, skin and bones, tattered cat, worm, skinny, tongue, dried fruit, thin, scrap, skinny Dictionary of Russian synonyms. otter see thin Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical... ...

OTTER, s, female. 1. A predatory, well-swimming animal of the family. mustelids, as well as its fur. 2. About an ugly and thin woman (simple). The sea otter is the same as the sea otter. | adj. otter, aya, oe (to 1 value) and otter, ya, ye (to 1 value). Dictionary… … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

OTTER- (fur) the skin of the amphibian predator otter. The otter lives throughout the entire territory of the USSR with the exception of the Far North, deserts and semi-deserts of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, but is extremely rare everywhere. Fur is very valuable; in terms of wearability, in comparison with... ... Concise Encyclopedia household

- (inc.) sickly, emaciated (about women). Wed. (The young pharmacist)... did not seem to her at all like an otter, as they said about her in society... but, on the contrary, Matryona Dmitrievna found her very interesting... Pisemsky. Masons. 3, 4... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

OTTER, otters, female 1. A dark brown predatory animal from the marten family (swimming in the water and living on the banks of rivers and seas). || The fur of this animal. 2. About an ugly, lean woman (simple expletive). Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Women animal, Mustela Lutra, Lutra fluviatilis, riverside; water thief hard wallet something between a mink and a sea otter (kamcha beaver), in rivers Central Russia. Otter husband. otter pl. baby otter, puppy, kitten. Otter,... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Recess in the stems of wooden ships (more than correct name tongue and groove) to which the cladding boards are adjacent. Samoilov K.I. Marine dictionary. M. L.: State Naval Publishing House of the NKVMF of the USSR, 1941 ... Marine Dictionary

The river (Lutra vulgaris) is a predatory mammal from the family of slender or marten (Gracilia s. Mustelidae), has a length of 30 cm; fur is short, thick, shiny, dark brown above, whitish-gray-brown below; there is a white spot on the chin and... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

The nature of our planet is unique. It is so mysterious that scientists are still discovering more and more new species. But this is not only its charm. Even animals that have long been known can be interesting to observe and study. For example, the river otter. Photos and descriptions of this animal can be found in many zoological books. And they all talk about the beauty of this animal.

This animal is very flexible and dexterous. It has a streamlined body shape. This is a rather large animal with a small head. His ears are barely visible due to his fur; they are short and located on the sides of his head. There is a special valve in the ears that closes the ear canal when the river otter dives into water. Its muzzle is short and wide, with long sideburns on the sides. The animal's neck is very thick and short, the same width as its head. The river otter has small round eyes. They are set high, which gives the animal good review. Males, as often happens, are more massive and stronger than females. The animal's legs are short but strong. They have special membranes between their fingers. This allows you to swim better. The claws are small and short. The river otter also has a long tail. It acts as a fin and helps you move better underwater. The elongated hind legs also serve the same purpose. The animal's fur is smooth and has two layers. The top one is rougher and smoother, while the bottom one is very thick and slightly wavy. This structure of the fur allows it not to get wet and maintains the temperature of the animal at the desired level. This is what a river otter looks like. The photos presented in the article allow us to study her appearance in more detail.

Color and voice of the animal

The animal's fur is dark brown or Brown color, the undercoat is light brown. The color also changes to different parts bodies. For example, the sides of an otter are lighter, and the belly has a silvery tint with yellowish or brownish tints. Dark brown hair predominates on the paws and tail. A river otter can make many sounds, depending on the situation. If she gets scared of something, she will definitely start hissing. When the animals play with each other, they chirp and squeal in a peculiar way. 10 kg is Weight Limit, which the animal can reach. The river otter can reach sizes ranging from 50-55 cm without a tail. The tail separately has a length of up to 95 cm. When favorable conditions The otter can live up to 10 years.

Habitat

This animal can live throughout Western Europe and most of Asia. The banks of streams, lakes and rivers are considered acceptable for its habitat, in rare cases sea ​​coast. When choosing a place to live, an otter will choose a river that has fast current and rocky bottom. There should also be plenty of fish and diving ducks. If the river is quiet, then the chance of seeing this animal there is small. The best rivers for otters are medium-sized rivers with a width of up to 15 meters. These sizes were chosen because in winter you can find a wide variety of frost-free areas.

Food and enemies

When answering the question of what the river otter eats, you need to determine the type of its diet. As you know, there are three types: herbivores, meat-eaters and omnivores. The otter is a meat eater. The basis of its diet is fish weighing up to 2.5 kg. It could be trout, pike or carp. Also, this animal does not disdain ground dwellers in the form of rabbits, various birds, frogs and rodents. It can also eat beetles and shellfish. with their own fierce enemies The otter counts wolves, eagles and lynxes, who are not averse to eating the meat of this animal.

Otter lifestyle

This animal prefers to hunt at night. During the day, it rests in its hole or in the roots of trees growing near the river. If the day is hot, the otter likes to bask on the rocks or on the trunk of a fallen tree. When dusk comes, this cute animal turns into a hunter. It suits him well for life and sea ​​water, but the otter can only drink fresh water. She has good hearing, charm and eyesight. If this animal falls into captivity, it quickly adapts and tames, loves its owner very much and is not averse to playing with him. The otter is also very resilient. If necessary, she can walk up to 10 km per day. She builds trails and uses them for years. An interesting thing is that otters go to the same place to go to the toilet. If the area is safe and there is enough food, then these animals will not change their home. But if necessary, they can walk up to 20 km in search of a new shelter. But this only happens during the warm season. In winter, otters do not move away from unfrozen water or wormwood.

Structure of social connections

The river otter prefers to live alone. Meetings, if they occur, are only for the conception of offspring. This animal marks its territory with feces and a special secretion that is secreted from the anal glands. Males own larger areas than females. Otters usually hunt along 2-6 km of shore along the river, and they go into the water up to 100 m. Males and females can be neighbors, but the female will not tolerate another female. The relationship between males has a hierarchical structure: the dominant one takes the best territory for himself. After his displacement, this rank passes to another representative of the species.

Breeding river otters

In the second year of life, these animals begin puberty, and after a year they are able to reproduce independently. The female may be capable of conceiving several times a year. Her estrus lasts up to two weeks. Meeting the opposite sex can happen both on land and in water. Fights between males are normal. The best of them receives a reward. Pregnancy lasts up to 10 weeks. After this, 2 to 4 blind puppies are born. They are already completely covered with fur. The weight of these babies is about 100 grams, and the length is about 12 cm. Mom feeds them milk from 2-3 pairs of nipples. It takes them 2-3 weeks to start crawling. At 4-5 weeks the eyes open. At 7 weeks of age, puppies begin to learn to hunt on their own. Their molars appear by 2 months of life. During this same period they learn to swim. At 3-4 months, puppies are already independent enough for their mother to leave them. When they are 8-12 months old, they leave to find their own home, but may stay with their mother for a while longer.

The importance of the river otter for humans

Although otters are caught for their fur, their importance in this industry is not very great. After all, only the animal’s undercoat can be beneficial to humans, because the spine is very rough and has to be plucked out. The rest of the fur is very durable, warm and light. Otters are hunted mainly for what they eat. a large number of fish, causing people to suffer losses. Due to environmental pollution and expanding infrastructure, this species is not able to reproduce in sufficient numbers. Otters very often get entangled in fishing nets or die from harmful substances that enter the water thanks to humans. They hunt these animals with the help of dogs. Due to such actions on the part of people, this species is very rare. Therefore, it was included in the International Red Book. And in 1985, they even developed a special program for breeding otters in Europe.

Thus, one of the brightest representatives of the animal world Western Europe and Asia is the river otter. The photos show how interesting and beautiful this animal is. Because of man, he is in danger of extinction, but in last years its population has nevertheless increased.