Otter advice

[jennyb]

I mentioned in the mammal of the day thread a week or so ago that I had seen an otter by the pond in my garden (quite a long way from the house). I have spent some time watching and also looked around for spraint but so far have seen/found nothing. I just really wanted some advice as to whether it is likely that the otter lives there or was just visiting, or whether it was maybe a mink instead.

When I saw it the light was fading, I was not wearing my glasses and didn't have my camera with me! However the shape was distinctly otter-shaped and it seemed at least a metre long so it seemed too big for mink. I could not really make out colour because of the light.

It seemed to poke its head out of the ground between the 2 walls of the dam that forms the pond before climbing out. I am showing a photo here of the dam taken last year during the big flood. The water is usually at least 1 metre lower than the top of the dam, so it is not normally flowing over the top. It just happened to be the only decent photo I have of the dam wall.



I have found 2 holes in the soil in the top of the dam which are possible candidates. One is obviously in regular use but seems too small. The other is about twice the size but does not seem to be in regular use. Question 1 - what diameter is the entrance hole to an otter hole likely to be? The hole in question (see photo) is about 5 inches diameter, probably too small for an otter, but does not look particularly like a rabbit hole. Question 2 - is this a likely location for an otter holt?



The nearest river is about half a mile away as the crow flies so it is possible that it was just exploring, but it really did look as if it was climbing out of a hole in the dam.

I have had my stealthcam set up every night but have not captured anything except muntjacs and roe deer, but the motion detector does not work well for small/low lying creatures.

I am racking my brains to think of a way to get my webcam set up there, but the wireless transmitter needs to have line of sight to the receiver, which in turn needs to be in the house close to the computer. The pond is just too far away and also down a hill away from the house. Any repeater to boost the signal would have to be weatherproof.

Any opinions/suggestions would be very welcome.

Jenny

[mh68]

Quick question Jenny - was your sighting either during, or following a spell of heavy rain? I`ll have a think about your other points ,although i`m certainly no expert on these creatures....

Mark H

[jennyb]

Originally Posted by mh68

Quick question Jenny - was your sighting either during, or following a spell of heavy rain?

Mark H

No, it was just after that very hot spell we had here a couple of weeks ago. However, I believe there was a huge amount of rain the previous week while I was away on holiday.

Jenny

[mh68]

Right. The reason I asked was that during such times they can travel far and wide, and turn up out of the blue in unusual places, then disappear again just as quickly.If it was as large as you say then that rules out Mink.Then again,half a mile isnt very far really for it to come from the river, even on the same evening you saw it.
The hole in the pic you posted is too small for Otter i`d say, it would be nearer a Fox/Badger sized entrance if that were the case, and its also a bit open and exposed for an Otter holt.
Bear in mind too that Otter spraint isnt always as obvious as Fox scats etc...often all you`ll find are very small fragments.

Mark H

[jennyb]

Yes, I thought the hole was too small, but it really did seem to come up out of the ground around that point. As I mentioned there is another hole which is much bigger but does not seem to be in use. Maybe I should spread some sand or soil around near the holes to see if I can get any tracks.

Jenny

[mh68]

Originally Posted by jennyb

Yes, I thought the hole was too small, but it really did seem to come up out of the ground around that point. As I mentioned there is another hole which is much bigger but does not seem to be in use. Maybe I should spread some sand or soil around near the holes to see if I can get any tracks.

Jenny

It wouldnt do any harm Jenny - you never know until you try...

Mark H

[deer boy]

Why not put some food out & set up some sort of hide & wait & see if you see anything.
It would be well worth the effort if it is an otter

[mh68]

Jenny, regarding the size of holt entrance Otters can use, I was chatting to a mate on msn last night and he pointed out that they`ll happily use something the size of a large Rabbit burrow so my suggestion was a little bit out. Sorry.The other points are still relevant though..

Mark H

[coasty]

I would be wary about discounting otter because of the size. A few years ago a fishing club I was a member of was losing trout from the rearing ponds we could see the leftovers and footprints every morning but could see no holes in all the fencing and netting,, We eventually recorded the otter getting in through the 4m long 100 mm diam drain pipe that was used as an overflow pipe....
Otters usually like to have their permanent holt entrance well concealed, I beleive they will use any animal burrow etc suitable as temporary accomodation whilst exploring their home range...

[mh68]

Originally Posted by coasty

Otters usually like to have their permanent holt entrance well concealed, I beleive they will use any animal burrow etc suitable as temporary accomodation whilst exploring their home range...

Thats exactly what I was told by my mate. A 4 inch pipe must have been quite squeeze for the poor `ol Otter

Mark H