Description ¹⁰

The Eurasian otter is a typical species of the otter subfamily. Brown above and cream below, these long, slender creatures are well-equipped for their aquatic habits. Their bones show osteosclerosis, increasing their density to reduce buoyancy. This otter differs from the North American river otter by its shorter neck, broader visage, the greater space between the ears and its longer tail. However, the Eurasian otter is the only otter in much of its range, so it is rarely confused for any other animal. Normally, this species is 57 to 95 cm (22.5 to 37.5 in) long, not counting a tail of 35–45 cm (14–17.5 in). The female is shorter than the male. The otter's average body weight is 7 to 12 kg (15 to 26 lb), although occasionally a large old male may reach up to 17 kg (37 lb). The record-sized specimen, reported by a reliable source but not verified, weighed over 24 kg (53 lb).

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Aleksandar, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Aleksandar
2. (c) Klaus Rassinger, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lutra_lutra_04_MWNH_414.jpg
3. (c) Klaus Rassinger, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lutra_lutra_02_MWNH_414.jpg
4. (c) Klaus Rassinger, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lutra_lutra_03_MWNH_414.jpg
5. (c) Klaus Rassinger, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lutra_lutra_01_MWNH_414.jpg
6. (c) Juan Lacruz, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nutria_1.jpg
7. (c) Creator:Capber fabrice, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Empreintes_de_loutres.jpg
8. (c) David Perez, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lutra_lutra_01_by-dpc.jpg
9. (c) Drow_male, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Excrementos_de_nutria.001.JPG
10. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_otter

More Info

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