Living in the Baltic Sea

Average Size
Body 60-80 cm, tail 28-55 cm/5-10 kg, the male being somewhat larger than the female

Age
15-18 years old

Record Size & Age
100 cm/12 kg and 22 years old

Habitat
In fresh or brackish water where there is a good supply of food and lots of vegetation. Otters are strongly territorial, living alone for the most part. An individual's territory can be about 1-40 km long but on average 18 km. They mark the territory by scrubbing the back of their body against the ground. In the winter they slide on the snow and this might also be to mark their territory. The territories are only held against members of the same sex, so those of males and females may overlap. It places its nests in holes in the ground close to the edge of the water, preferably with the entrance under water.

Food
Their food consists of fish but can also include birds, insects, frogs, crustaceans and sometimes small mammals, including young beavers, most of the hunting takes place at night. An average Otter eats about 1 kg of food per day.

Reproduction
Age: 2-3 years old
Season: Late Winter
Number of pups: 2-4

Otters are pregnant for about 60 days giving birth in June-May. The pups are dependent on the mother for a about a year. They can swim when they are around 2 months old, and cease breast-feeding at 3 months old. The male plays no direct role in parental care, although the territory of a female with her cubs is usually entirely within that of the male.

Human impact and Status
The European Otter declined during the second half of the 20th century primarily due to pollution from pesticides such as organochlorine pesticides (OCs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Other threats included traffic, habitat loss and hunting, both legal and illegal. The Otter population is now recovering partly due to a ban on the most harmful pesticides and partly to direct legal protection