Otter spraint - do you only find it on river banks?

[werdnal]

I was out in our field yesterday moving our electric fence, when I noticed what I thought was bird dropping on top of a mole hill. It occurred to be at the time that it seemed quite a concetrated amount for a bird to have managed to deposit in such a precise spot. It was also very black in colour.

I was looking through a few posts here and came across photos of otter spraint and wondered is that is what I saw. I will go back out again tomorrow and get a photo - if our animals haven't already trampled over it. We have a river about 50 yards away - tributary of the river Fal, and our eldery neighbour swore she saw an otter a few years ago. We also lost a lot of our pond fish a while back, and found bits of scales scattered at the edge of the pond. Do otters cross land?

I'll get photo asap if its still there.

[AshLee]

Yes they do cross land.

A photo will help. But if you sniff the dropping you will be able to tell for sure. The smell of otter spraint is by no means repulsive - like someone on here said recently, floral/jasmine with a hint of fish oil (the first time I smelled it, for some reason I couldn't bring myself to eat king prawns that day ).

It is not always found on the river bank.

[FoxtonWildlifeRescue]

In the recent snow, i saw otter tracks down our lane. About 100 yards from the canal. Definitely an otter as their tracks are so distinctive.

[PMG]

Otters can move good distances from any large water body at times if the inclination takes them. Unfortunately, we found two killed together on the A9 last year quite a big distance from any decent water. I drove past knowing instinctively even at the speed I was travelling that the bodies on the other side of the carriageway were not badgers ....... we turned round and drove back to check, then Ian went either side of the road and only found a stream so small it was a mere little 'rill' and the nearest loch was a couple of miles off....... Its likley that these two were mother and offspring which is such a shame .....

Pauline

[kenny243]

Otters do often roam far from watercourses. They usually deposit their spraints in prominant places, including Mole hills. A photo would certainly help to positively identify it.
As part of my job, I've been filming Otters, using mainly motion activated cameras, and during the recent spell of snow, got several pieces of interesting footage of individuals rolling around in the snow, and grooming. One was filmed on several occasions curling up and having a sleep in the snow.

[paulthomas]

Droppings on top of something like a molehill is classic Fox behaviour. A quick sniff will instantly tell you in just the same way as you would sniff river-side spraint to tell if it's Otter or Mink.