Eurasian
River Otter
Common name
for the most widely distributed species of otter in the world.
It is brown on the back, shading to beige on the
belly and throat, and is about one meter in
length. It weighs around 8 kilograms, with males being somewhat larger and
heavier than females. The paws are webbed and the claws are well-developed. With
rather poor eyesight, it uses its strong whiskers as an aid in locating prey,
which consists of mostly fish, but also crayfish, frogs and even water birds.
The Eurasian River
Otter is found in a variety of aquatic habitats, both in
highlands and lowlands, from sea level to the
Himalayas. Besides dwelling near and in fresh water, its may
also swim in brackish and salt water,
provided that fresh water is available to wash off the salt. The
Eurasian River Otter is also known Eurasian Otter and the European Otter. It
belongs to the Mustelidae
family and
has the scientific name Lutra lutra. In
Thai, it is called
naag yai thammada, i.e.
‘large common otter’.
See also
Asian Small-clawed Otter.
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