EURASIAN OTTER

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Context: The first photographic record of an elusive semi-aquatic carnivorous mammal has indicated that not all is lost for a Jammu and Kashmir stream.

Details:

Findings:

• A trio of scientists from the University of Jammu’s Institute of Mountain Environment trapped three Eurasian otters in the Neeru stream of the Chenab catchment.
• Apart from putting an end to doubts about the animal’s presence in the upper Chenab catchment, their findings have confirmed that some stretches of the Neeru remain unpolluted.
  • The Neeru is a tributary of the Chenab river.
  • Since the Eurasian otter — classified as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN Red List — is regarded as a flagship species and indicator of high-quality aquatic habitats, its presence is encouraging for the health of the Neeru stream.

About Eurasian Otter:

Taxonomy:

• Kingdom :Animalia
• Phylum :Chordata
• Class :  Mammalia
• Order :Carnivora
• Family :Mustelidae
• Genus :Lutra
• Species :lutra
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN : Near threatened
  • IWPA : Schedule II
  • CITES : Appendix I

Distribution:

• The Eurasian otter has one of the widest distributions of all palaearctic mammals.
• Its range covers parts of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa.
• In India, it occurs in northern, northeast and southern India. Formerly widely distributed in Japan, it is now believed to be extinct there.

Characteristics, Habitat and Behaviour:

• The Eurasian otter has sleek brown fur, which is often paler on the underside and a long lithe body with a thick tail and short legs.
• Adaptations for an aquatic lifestyle include webbed feet, the ability to close the small ears and the nose when under water, and very dense, short fur that traps a layer of air to insulate the animal
• The Eurasian otter lives in a wide variety of aquatic habitats, including highland and lowland lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, swamp forests and coastal areas independent of their size, origin or latitude
• In the Indian sub-continent, Eurasian otters occur in cold hill and mountain streams. During summer (April - June) in the Himalayas, they may ascend up to 3,660 m.

Major Threats:

• Habitat destruction due to developmental activities such as canalization of rivers, removal of bank side vegetation, dam construction, draining of wetlands and aquaculture activities.
• Decrease in prey species due to acidification of rivers and lakes.
• Poaching for pelt.
• Coastal populations are vulnerable to oil spills, while the inland populations are vulnerable to organic pollution by nitrate fertilizers, untreated sewage, or farm slurry.
• A potential risk comes from traps designed to kill other species, especially underwater cages constructed to drown muskrats.

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