Otters living on campus

We are pleased to have a  pair of Otters resident on campus, we have seen evidence before in the form of Swan mussel shells and the remains of the fish that form part of their diet, but now with the aid of night vision wildlife cameras we have managed to capture still and moving footage.

The European Otter (Lutra lutra) is also known as the Eurasian River Otter or Common Otter is also a  member of the  weasel family.  Otters will inhabit any unpolluted body of freshwater, including lakes, streams, rivers and ponds, as long as there is good supply of food.

As one of our top predators, feeding mainly on fish (particularly eels), crustaceans, waterbirds, amphibians, their hunting takes place usually at night.   Daytime is usually then spent in the otters ‘holt’, a burrow in the riverbank which can only be entered from underwater.

Otter facts

Otters are strongly territorial and generally live alone for most of the time. An otters home range can vary between 1 – 40 kilometres, with about 18 kilometres being usual, depending on the density of food available.

Male Otters and female Otters will breed at any time of the year and mating takes place in water, they have their cubs in underground burrows, known as 'holts'.

Excellent and lithe swimmers, the young are in the water by 10 weeks of age. Otters are well suited to a life on the water as they have webbed feet, dense fur to keep them warm, and can close their ears and nose when underwater.

Identification

The otter is a large, powerful mammal, with grey-brown fur, a broad snout, and a pale chest and throat. Otters can be distinguished from mink by their much larger size and broader face.

Statistics

Length: 60-80cm
Tail: 32-56cm
Weight: 6-8kg

Swan Mussel shells found around the lake edge

Average lifespan: 5-10 years

Conservation status

Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. European Protected Species under Annex IV of the European Habitats Directive. Listed as Near Threatened on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.