EURASIAN OTTER

16th March, 2023 Environment

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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.