Information Please.... Seaside Otters

Jens · #1 (**permalink**) 16-09-2006, 07:11 PM

I'm curious about the otters we have here at the sea in Northern Scotland. I googled and found www.glaucus.org.uk/otters.htm which told me lots, but please would some WAB mammalarians let me know do otters swim in both salt water sea and fresh water rivers? (Are they the same species of Otter?) Where do they live, here by the beach or away by fresh water? Where do they nest, breed etc? Yes indeed I'm really ignorant about otters, so your help would be appreciated! Jens

Alan · #2 (**permalink**) 16-09-2006, 07:28 PM

Hi Jens

We have ony one species of Otter in the UK. It lives in both fresh water and sea, but the ones living on the coast, require access to fresh water to keep the coat in good condition.

Have a look here:

Activities: The Mammal Society

Alan

chunkychambers · #3 (**permalink**) 16-09-2006, 07:31 PM

Hello Jens and wlcome to WAB.
We have otters down here and they do indeed swim in both salt and fresh water, in fact it's a habit of theirs to regularly enter fresh water to wash the salt from their coats.
They eat fish from both salt and fresh.

They live in something called a "holt" which is a large hole in a bank or under tree roots etc., always alongside or very close to water.

I welcome the resurgence of these animals because not only are they one of my favourite mammals but they are taking on wild mink and as a consequence the water vole is making a comeback.