River otter: appearance, habits, habitat. River otter (lutra lutra) What types of otters live in Russian rivers
In the old days, the river otter (Lutra lutra L., 1758) was called the pine otter; most likely, it received this name from the fact that it lives near rivers.
Appearance and color
This is a fairly large animal: body length is 55-95cm, tail length is 26-55cm. The weight of an adult animal is 6-10 kg. Females are slightly smaller in size and weight than males. The animal's body is highly elongated and relatively uniform in thickness along its entire length. The head is small and flattened in relation to the body. The ears are short with rounded tips, widely spaced and not protruding high from the fur. The ear canal has a special closing valve.
The neck is short. The tail is long, thick at the base, tapering strongly towards the end. The legs are short, five-fingered, the toes are connected to each other by well-developed membranes.
In general, the otter's body is streamlined, very flexible and mobile, coupled with locking ear and nose valves and a special fur structure, perfectly adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle.
The fur in winter is low, even over the entire body, and tight-fitting. Consists of frequent coarse, elastic, shiny spine and thick, dense and silky down. Like other semi-aquatic animals, the fur on the abdomen is thicker than on the back. The covering hairs have a special structure that prevents the fur from getting wet: the upper third of the hair is flattened and looks like a plate; in addition, the guard hairs are curved at the base and strongly inclined in relation to the body. The covering hairs tightly cover the down, due to which a layer of air is formed in the underfur, which protects the animal from hypothermia.
The color of the fur is dark brown or dark chestnut and is quite uniform throughout. The top of the head is slightly darker, the tail is covered with short hair of the same color as the back. The bottom of the head, sides of the neck and belly are slightly lighter with a silvery coating, sometimes having a yellowish or whitish tint.
Molting is unnoticeable and gradually, starting in the spring, it ends in winter.
Distribution and habitats
Its habitat in Russia is very large, it covers almost all water bodies of the country. This animal is absent, or enters there very rarely, in the tundra and some steppe regions of Kalmykia, the lower reaches of the Volga and the Urals.
The predator is small in almost all areas of its range.
Despite the wide geographical distribution of the otter, only two varieties are distinguished: V. northern and V. Caucasian.
Habitats include almost all freshwater bodies. It settles along the banks of rivers, lakes and even sea coasts. The most favorite areas are small and medium-sized rivers, with clean water, whirlpools and riffles.
For an animal to colonize a particular section of a reservoir, the nature of the banks is very important - the more inaccessible they are for humans, the better for the otter, which is why it often settles on heavily cluttered forest rivers. Also important for it is the abundance of food and the ability to penetrate into the water in winter: the presence of holes, wormwood and voids under the ice.
Its habitat is small in width and limited to approximately one hundred meters along each bank. Its length depends on the abundance of food and the conditions for obtaining it. If the land is well fed, the length of the plot is from 3 to 5 km. If on a river areas rich in food alternate with areas that are poor, then it can consist of a chain of several, in which case its length can reach 15 km.
When the ice regime is severe, it often wanders from body of water to body of water in search of more favorable conditions.
As shelters, the otter has a permanent burrow and several temporary shelters. A permanent burrow is built in a steep bank; the entrance to it is under water. The burrow is a chamber lined with dry grass. It is located, like the beaver, quite high above the water level. In the absence of suitable places for a permanent burrow, it can make a lair under various rubble.
Temporary shelters are arranged throughout the entire habitat and can be very different: erosion under tree roots, voids in piles of dead wood, etc.
During the spring flood, the shelter is flooded with water, then the otter rests on temporary beds located not far from the water.
Lifestyle and behavior
The main food of the predator is fish, mostly small ones. An additional source of food is frogs, especially in winter, small mammals - water rat and gray vole, and birds - chicks of semi-aquatic and waterfowl species. Crayfish and aquatic insects can also serve as food.
She leads a hidden lifestyle and is very careful. The animal emerges from its hiding places already at dusk, prefers to hunt at night, and is especially active on moonlit nights. During the day, she can be found only in very remote places, where no one bothers her, or in winter, when snow and ice prevent her from fishing.
The otter is an excellent swimmer and diver; it can swim more than a hundred meters underwater. In water the animal is very fast and agile. She hunts mainly standing fish. It comes ashore in certain places - these paths are similar to the forays of a beaver. On land it is clumsy, but this does not prevent it from moving quickly; it is also very hardy and can cover quite long distances between neighboring bodies of water.
In habitats on muddy soil, the animal leaves large, round paw prints. A characteristic feature is that the membrane between the toes is clearly visible on the marks left behind. The otter usually moves by walking, galloping, or trotting. When the animal walks at a pace, the prints of all four paws are visible, while the footprint has a zigzag shape. The long tail leaves a mark; it is especially visible in deep snow in the form of a winding line.
At the beginning of winter, when there is not much snow, she uses an interesting method of moving from one ice hole to another - she makes several leaps, and then, pressing her front paws to her body, slides along the ice, having traveled two to three meters, again accelerates with leaps and slides. Perhaps this is how she dries her fur.
In some places, the otter arranges a “roller coaster”. These are the rolled slopes of steep banks, along which it slides down to the water several times. Such descents can also be found in winter.
Its numbers throughout the country are small; the main criterion determining density is rivers, their food supply, protection and ice conditions.
River pollution leads to a sharp decline in the number of animals.
This animal has no migrations; all movements, no matter how extensive, are carried out within its territory
Reproduction has been poorly studied. The presence of a latent stage is most likely not, because young animals were seen at different times of the year, but most often from April to June. The brood consists of 2-5 cubs. Babies begin to see the light at the age of one month. They grow slowly. First-year children spend summer, autumn and sometimes even winter with their mother. The size of an adult animal is reached in the third year of life. They become sexually mature at the same time, and it is this feature that serves as a limiting factor in population growth.
Of the dangerous enemies of the otter, only humans can be distinguished. There are no serious competitors. The main cause of death, especially in young animals, is unfavorable winter conditions.
It is hunted by hunters in small quantities. Hunting is permitted only with licenses. The largest number is mined, much less.
The otter is undoubtedly a valuable fur-bearing animal. Its fur is beautiful and very durable. The strength of its fur is taken as a standard when evaluating the skins of other animals.
The nature of our planet is unique. It is so mysterious that scientists are still discovering more and more new species. But that’s not the only beauty of it. Even animals that have long been known can be interesting to observe and study. For example, the river otter. Photos and descriptions of this animal can be found in many zoological books. And they all talk about the beauty of this animal.
This animal is very flexible and dexterous. It has a streamlined body shape. This is a rather large animal with a small head. His ears are barely visible due to his fur; they are short and located on the sides of his head. There is a special valve in the ears that closes the ear canal when the river otter dives into water. Its muzzle is short and wide, with long whiskers on the sides. The animal's neck is very thick and short, the same width as its head. The river otter has small round eyes. They are set high, which gives the animal a good view. Males, as often happens, are more massive and stronger than females. The animal's legs are short but strong. They have special membranes between their fingers. This allows you to swim better. The claws are small and short. The river otter also has a long tail. It acts as a fin and helps you move better underwater. The elongated hind legs also serve the same purpose. The animal's fur is smooth and has two layers. The top one is rougher and smoother, while the bottom one is very thick and slightly wavy. This structure of the fur allows it not to get wet and maintains the temperature of the animal at the desired level. This is what a river otter looks like. The photos presented in the article allow us to study her appearance in more detail.
Color and voice of the animal
The animal's fur is dark brown or brown in color, while the undercoat is light brown. The color also changes on different parts of the body. For example, the sides of an otter are lighter, and the belly has a silvery tint with yellowish or brownish tints. Dark brown hair predominates on the paws and tail. A river otter can make many sounds, depending on the situation. If she gets scared of something, she will definitely start hissing. When the animals play with each other, they chirp and squeal in a peculiar way. 10 kg is the maximum weight that an animal can reach. The river otter can reach sizes ranging from 50-55 cm without a tail. The tail separately has a length of up to 95 cm. Under favorable conditions, the otter can live up to 10 years.
Habitat
This animal can live throughout Western Europe and most of Asia. The banks of streams, lakes and rivers, and in rare cases the sea coast, are considered acceptable for its habitat. When choosing a place to live, an otter will choose a river that has a fast current and a rocky bottom. There should also be plenty of fish and diving ducks. If the river is quiet, then the chance of seeing this animal there is small. The best rivers for otters are medium-sized rivers with a width of up to 15 meters. These sizes were chosen because in winter you can find a wide variety of frost-free areas.
Food and enemies
When answering the question of what the river otter eats, you need to determine the type of its diet. As you know, there are three types: herbivores, meat-eaters and omnivores. The otter is a meat eater. The basis of its diet is fish weighing up to 2.5 kg. It could be trout, pike or carp. Also, this animal does not disdain ground dwellers in the form of rabbits, various birds, frogs and rodents. It can also eat beetles and shellfish. The otter considers wolves, eagles and lynxes to be his fierce enemies, who are not averse to eating the meat of this animal.
Otter lifestyle
This animal prefers to hunt at night. During the day, it rests in its hole or in the roots of trees growing near the river. If the day is hot, the otter likes to bask on the rocks or on the trunk of a fallen tree. When dusk comes, this cute animal turns into a hunter. Sea water is quite suitable for life, but the otter can only drink fresh water. She has good hearing, charm and eyesight. If this animal falls into captivity, it quickly adapts and tames, loves its owner very much and is not averse to playing with him. The otter is also very resilient. If necessary, she can walk up to 10 km a day. She builds trails and uses them for years. An interesting thing is that otters go to the same place to go to the toilet. If the area is safe and there is enough food, then these animals will not change their home. But if necessary, they can walk up to 20 km in search of a new shelter. But this only happens during the warm season. In winter, otters do not move away from unfrozen water or wormwood.
Structure of social connections
The river otter prefers to live alone. Meetings, if they occur, are only for the conception of offspring. This animal marks its territory with feces and a special secretion that is secreted from the anal glands. Males own larger areas than females. Otters usually hunt along 2-6 km of shore along the river, and they go into the water up to 100 m. Males and females can be neighbors, but the female will not tolerate another female. The relationship between males has a hierarchical structure: the dominant one takes the best territory for himself. After his displacement, this rank passes to another representative of the species.
Breeding river otters
In the second year of life, these animals begin puberty, and after a year they are able to reproduce independently. The female may be capable of conceiving several times a year. Her heat lasts up to two weeks. Meeting the opposite sex can happen both on land and in water. Fights between males are normal. The best of them receives a reward. Pregnancy lasts up to 10 weeks. After this, 2 to 4 blind puppies are born. They are already completely covered with fur. The weight of these babies is about 100 grams, and the length is about 12 cm. Mom feeds them milk from 2-3 pairs of nipples. It takes them 2-3 weeks to start crawling. At 4-5 weeks the eyes open. At the age of 7 weeks, puppies begin to learn to hunt independently. Their molars appear by 2 months of life. During this same period they learn to swim. At 3-4 months, puppies are already independent enough for their mother to leave them. When they are 8-12 months old, they leave to find their own home, but may stay with their mother for a while longer.
The importance of the river otter for humans
Although otters are caught for their fur, their importance in this industry is not very great. After all, only the animal’s undercoat can be beneficial to humans, because the spine is very rough and has to be plucked out. The rest of the fur is very durable, warm and light. Otters are hunted mainly because they eat large quantities of fish, causing people to suffer losses. Due to environmental pollution and expanding infrastructure, this species is not able to reproduce in sufficient numbers. Otters very often get entangled in fishing nets or die from harmful substances that enter the water thanks to humans. They hunt these animals with the help of dogs. Due to such actions on the part of people, this species is very rare. Therefore, it was included in the International Red Book. And in 1985, they even developed a special program for breeding otters in Europe.
Thus, one of the brightest representatives of the animal world of Western Europe and Asia is the river otter. The photos show how interesting and beautiful this animal is. Because of humans, it is in danger of extinction, but in recent years its population has increased.
The range of such mammals, belonging to the mustelid family, is not at all difficult to calculate. You just need to look at the freshwater network on the map of our country and identify wooded, uninhabited places where fish are found in abundance. These creatures must have found refuge there.
And it’s not surprising, because such mammals are the only members of their kind in a very interesting group of terrestrial fauna called semi-aquatic predators. Therefore, these animals settle as close as possible to fresh water bodies, inhabiting mainly the banks of rivers and lakes.
And their physical structure fully corresponds to the lifestyle of those creatures of nature who have to swim and dive a lot and perfectly.
Common river otter– animal rather large, usually reaching an average weight of about 10 kg. The size of its thin, highly elongated and flexible, streamlined body is at least half a meter, and sometimes almost a meter in length.
The otter has a flexible long body
A notable detail of the otter’s appearance is its enormous tail. It makes up almost half of the body length, is wide at the base and tapers towards its tip. The animal looks squat due to its short paws, between the toes of which, like almost all representatives of the fauna that spend a lot of time in water, there are swimming membranes.
The neck is quite long, but the head on it is disproportionately small, at the same time flattened and narrow. All features otters in the photo visible in all details.
The visual organs of these animals are positioned so that during swimming water gets into them as little as possible, interfering with vision. Therefore, the eyes of the otter are directed upward and forward. For the same reason, such creatures cover their ears with their paws while moving through the water, protecting the ear canals.
Like most aquatic creatures, the otter has webbed feet.
The otter's fur is special: short, but quite thick and rough, without getting wet, it has such a property given by nature to creatures that always live in close proximity to the water surface. The color of their fur is brown with a silvery tint, sometimes the tone of the fur can be quite light, and dark brown paws stand out against the general background.
The structure of the hair changes every spring and autumn, and this happens during periods of molting. A otter in winter has a noticeably longer coat than in summer.
The fur of these animals is not only special, but durable and beautiful, and surprisingly durable, with a thick down. During factory processing of the skins of killed animals, it is this, that is, the soft part of the fur that remains after the removal of coarse hairs.
Fur coats and other wardrobe items made from such material are therefore not tough, like untreated otter skins, and do not lose their quality for many decades.
For this reason, such fur is extremely valuable. This especially applies to the skins of sea otters and animals from this genus that live in Alaska. And there is nothing surprising, given what is written, that the uncontrolled killing of owners of such valuable fur has significantly reduced their population.
Such animals live almost everywhere, excluding only the harsh, unsuitable northern regions. If we consider the European continent, there are quite a lot of these animals in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
They are also found in North Africa, as well as on the Asian continent. However, in Australia they are not among the representatives of the local fauna.
Before the mass extermination of such animals began, the range of the common otter was more significant, spreading more widely across the European part of the planet, and through Asia it reached Sri Lanka.
Types of otters
In total, 13 species are known in the otter genus, but only 12 of them actually exist in the world. This situation arose after the complete extinction of one of the varieties - Japanese. Most of the otters are river otters. But there are also sea otters, and those who prefer life on land and spend most of their time there.
Above, only the common otter was described. Now let's look at some other varieties.
1. Sumatran otter lives on the Asian continent in its southeastern part. Inhabits mango forests, wetlands, lakes, lower reaches of rivers and the banks of mountain streams. A characteristic feature of such animals is their nose, which is completely covered with hair, unlike the same part of the body in other species.
Otherwise the differences are minor. The weight of such animals usually does not exceed 7 kg. But the size of the elongated body reaches 1.3 m. The fur on the back is dark brown, the bottom is lighter, the claws are strong, and the swimming membranes are very developed.
2. Asian clawless otter lives in Indonesia and Indochina, often taking root in rice fields flooded with water, and, of course, is also found on river banks. Of all the types of otters, this is the smallest, and that is its peculiarity.
The size of adult individuals usually does not exceed 45 cm. In addition, the claws on the paws of these animals exist only in their infancy. Their fur can be not only brown or slightly darker, but also beige and lighter. The membranes are poorly developed.
3. Giant otter(also called Brazilian). Such creatures settle in the Amazon basin and live among tropical forests. The size of such creatures, including the length of the tail, is about 2 m, and their weight can exceed 20 kg. Their paws are thick, large, with well-developed claws and membranes.
Otter fur This variety is dark, marked with cream heels. It is considered very valuable, which is why these representatives of the fauna are on the verge of extinction due to the excessive hunting of them, which took place some time ago. Today this species is considered the rarest among its relatives.
You can distinguish a giant otter from others by a beige spot on its chest.
4. The cat otter is a marine animal, and a little-studied one at that. Found mainly in Argentina, Peru and Chile. Among their relatives, such otters are considered far from the largest, rarely reaching a weight of more than 6 kg. This species is also protected and rare.
There are otters of this variety that also live near fresh waters. In general, these creatures prefer to settle in algae-rich lacunae, in canals and reservoirs with rocky shores. They are distinguished by a short, wide muzzle, decorated with sideburns. Their hind legs, like those of most otter species, are longer than their front legs.
A close relative of otters is the sea otter, which belongs to the same mustelidae family. These animals are also called Kamchatka beavers. These representatives of the fauna are very interesting due to their adaptability to life among sea waters.
In addition to the Far Eastern region and adjacent regions indicated in the name, the sea otter lives in the Aleutian Islands and is widely distributed throughout the North along the western ocean coast, from the southern regions and up to Alaska.
Males of this species are large in size and can reach a body weight of 36 kg. The fur of these animals has a thick and dense structure. Such animals constantly and carefully maintain its cleanliness. Due to the high quality of the hair, the sea otter population suffered greatly. Currently, serious measures are being taken to protect these creatures.
A rare animal, the sea otter, is called a sea otter.
Lifestyle and habitat
river otter, which lives in temperate European regions, including in the vast expanses of Russia, prefers to settle along the banks of precisely those forest rivers that are rich in a wide variety of living creatures. And here he mainly chooses areas with rapids and whirlpools, such that the water does not freeze in winter.
Of course, this is very important for a creature that spends most of its life in water. For this reason, animals living in these climatic regions do not like to occupy small ponds and lakes, which are easily covered by a crust of ice even in light frosts.
The banks of the rivers where such animals settle are, as a rule, steep and steep, covered with windbreaks. It is in such biotopes that there are always enough secluded shelters, where in the most reliable way you can hide from unkind eyes the holes dug by animals, the entrance to which must certainly be located under water. Sometimes these animals prefer coastal caves to build their homes.
Otters usually do not move further than a hundred meters from the shore on land, when they leave the water. They don't really like to get out on land. For it is there that the greatest dangers await them. They prefer to stay apart.
Individual areas for the living and hunting of each of the animals, as a rule, are at least several tens of hectares in size. These animals are characterized by caution and secrecy. These qualities are especially evident on land - an area where they feel noticeably insecure. Although these creatures can be extremely brave.
They are capable of attacking fairly large and strong opponents. And mothers are especially frantic when trying to protect their offspring.
Otters are excellent swimmers and thrive in the water.
But along with these, the character of otters is playful and active. They love to roll down steep banks, and happily splash into the water at high speed. In winter, otters slide through the snow in the same way, riding on their bellies, leaving a deep trail in the snowdrifts.
There is an opinion that this is not just a game, not winter skating and fun. Perhaps in this way the “naughty ones” free their fur from the moisture accumulated in it. Otter able to hiss when scared. In a playful mood, such animals chirp and squeal. Other sounds available to them include whistling.
Since the Middle Ages, these animals have been bred in captivity for their valuable, unique fur. Nowadays, many nature lovers, looking at this touching creature that floats, swims and dives so wonderfully, want to get such a pet in order to play with it and watch its antics up close.
But pet otter It doesn't look like a toy at all. Moreover, there are a lot of difficulties in maintaining it, because otters vitally need, according to all the rules, an equipped reservoir for a full-fledged existence.
Although there are often cases when otters completely get used to humans and remain very happy with life. They are affectionate with their owners, and are even able to learn and carry out some of their commands.
Nutrition
It is not difficult to guess that the main part of the diet of these semi-aquatic creatures is fish. And the quality of food depends on the place where otters live. For example, animals living on the Volga successfully hunt fairly large pikes and carp. But otters, no matter where they live, still prefer fry and other small things to other types of food.
Moreover, such predators are able to catch prey both in reeds among stagnant waters and in rivers with significant currents. Otters living in the northern regions eat cod, brown trout, grayling, and trout.
It is difficult for an animal to become such a creature during periods when the waters are covered with dense ice crusts. Here you have to look for areas of free water, otherwise you won’t be able to catch the fish they love so much. In winter, in search of food, otters have to travel considerable distances, moving on ice and snow. An otter can walk about 20 km in a day.
Those who keep such pets at home should know that they require about 1 kg of food per day. Naturally, they can be given raw fish, as well as meat, eggs, and milk. It is also quite possible to feed otters with mice and frogs. And we should not forget about vitamin supplements.
Reproduction and lifespan
Concluding the story about otters, let us now pay attention to the process of their reproduction. Pairs usually join in the spring. And then, after a two-month pregnancy, mother otters give birth to up to four babies. Such cubs weigh only 100 g, are covered with fur, but are blind.
After two weeks they begin to crawl. And at the age of two months, they, grown and stronger, are already learning to swim. Somewhere around this period, their teeth also grow, which means they already get the opportunity to get used to nutritious food.
True, little otters are still far from reaching full maturity. Even at the age of six months, young animals try to stay close to their mothers, hoping for their protection and sensitive patronage. And only one-year-old otters can be considered fully mature for independent life.
River otter pups
And then the new generation leaves in search of their place of settlement. Sometimes young individuals live in groups, but often exist as solitary individuals.
The life of an otter in nature is not easy. Although these animals can live up to 15 years, in reality this happens quite rarely. Otters usually rarely die a natural death, very often becoming prey to predatory animals and birds, dying from diseases and accidents.
Predatory mammals of the mustelid family, leading a semi-aquatic lifestyle; one of three species of the otter genus ( Lutra). In the literature, the word “otter” usually means this species. According to statistical data in Russia in 2006, the otter population was about 15 thousand individuals. In America, in Alaska and Washington state, as well as Colombia, there are approximately 70 thousand, 2.5 thousand off the coast of California and about ten in Japan. There are approximately 88 thousand otters in the world, which is only a fifth of the number in the mid-18th century.
Appearance
The otter is a large animal with an elongated, flexible, streamlined body. Body length - 55-95 cm, tail - 26-55 cm, weight - 6-10 kg. The paws are short, with webbed swimming. The tail is muscular and not fluffy.
Fur color: dark brown above, light, silver below. The guard hairs are coarse, but the underfur is very thick and delicate. The structure of its body is adapted for swimming underwater: a flat head, short legs, a long tail and non-wetting fur.
Spreading
The most widespread representative of the otter subfamily. It is found over a wide area, covering almost all of Europe (except the Netherlands and Switzerland), Asia (except the Arabian Peninsula) and North Africa. In Russia it is absent only in the Far North.
Lifestyle and nutrition
The otter leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, swimming, diving and getting food in the water.
It lives mainly in forest rivers rich in fish, less often in lakes and ponds. Found on the sea coast. It prefers rivers with whirlpools, with rapids that do not freeze in winter, with washed-out banks littered with windbreaks, where there are many reliable shelters and places for making burrows. Sometimes it makes its lairs in caves or, like a nest, in thickets near the water. The entrance holes of its burrows open under water.
The hunting grounds of one otter in summer comprise a section of the river ranging from 2 to 18 km long and about 100 m deep into the coastal zone. In winter, when fish stocks are depleted and wormwood freezes, it is forced to wander, sometimes directly crossing high watersheds. At the same time, the otter descends from the slopes, rolling down on its belly and leaving a characteristic trace in the form of a gutter. On ice and snow it travels up to 15-20 km per day.
The otter feeds mainly on fish (carp, pike, trout, roach, gobies), and prefers small fish. In winter it eats frogs, and quite regularly eats caddisfly larvae. In summer, in addition to fish, it catches water voles and other rodents; In some places it systematically hunts waders and ducks.
Social structure and reproduction
Otters are solitary animals. Mating, depending on climatic conditions, occurs in the spring (March - April) or almost all year round (in England). Otters mate in the water. Pregnancy - with a latent period reaching up to 270 days; The gestation period itself is only 63 days. There are usually 2-4 blind cubs in a litter.
Otters reach sexual maturity in their second or third year.
Economic importance
Notes
Links
Categories:
- Animals in alphabetical order
- Species out of danger
- Otters
- Semi-aquatic mammals
- Mammals of Europe
- Mammals of Asia
- Animals described in 1758
- Red Data Book of the Sverdlovsk Region
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2010.:Synonyms
Otter See what "Otter" is in other dictionaries: - Lutra lutra see also 3.4.6. Genus River otters Lutra Otter Lutra lutra (body length 70-75 cm, tail 40-50 cm). The body is elongated, the tail is strong, thick at the base, gradually tapering towards the end. The head is flattened, the muzzle is wide, blunt, ears... ...
Animals of Russia. Directory Sea otter; raspberry, thin as a sliver, skinny, mymra, power beyond the grave, skin and bones, tattered cat, worm, skinny, dowel, dried fruit, thin, scrap, skinny Dictionary of Russian synonyms. otter see thin Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical... ...
Synonym dictionary OTTER, s, female. 1. A predatory, well-swimming animal of the family. mustelids, as well as its fur. 2. About an ugly and thin woman (simple). The sea otter is the same as the sea otter. | adj. otter, aya, oe (to 1 value) and otter, ya, ye (to 1 value). Dictionary… …
Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary OTTER Concise Encyclopedia of Housekeeping
- (inc.) sickly, emaciated (about women). Wed. (The young pharmacist)... did not seem to her at all like an otter, as they said about her in society... but, on the contrary, Matryona Dmitrievna found her very interesting... Pisemsky. Masons. 3, 4… Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)
OTTER, otters, female 1. A dark brown predatory animal from the marten family (swimming in the water and living on the banks of rivers and seas). || The fur of this animal. 2. About an ugly, lean woman (simple expletive). Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Women animal, Mustela Lutra, Lutra fluviatilis, riverside; water thief hard wallet something between a mink and a sea otter (Caucasian beaver), in the rivers of central Russia. Otter husband. otter pl. baby otter, puppy, kitten. Otter,... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
A recess in the stems of wooden ships (more correctly called tongue and groove), to which the sheathing boards are adjacent. Samoilov K.I. Marine dictionary. M.L.: State Naval Publishing House of the NKVMF of the USSR, 1941 ... Marine Dictionary
The river (Lutra vulgaris) is a predatory mammal from the family of slender or marten (Gracilia s. Mustelidae), has a length of 30 cm; fur is short, thick, shiny, dark brown above, whitish-gray-brown below; there is a white spot on the chin and... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
Otters are predatory animals of the mustelid family that lead an aquatic lifestyle. There are 17 species of otters in nature. Closely related to these animals are sea otters, which are sometimes called sea otters.
Eastern clawless otter (Aonyx cinerea).
In general, otters are not very large animals: the body length of most species does not exceed 1 m, and the weight is 10-12 kg. The exception is the giant otter from South America, whose body length can reach up to 1.5 m and weight up to 30 kg! Otters have the appearance characteristic of all mustelids: a very elongated, flexible body, short legs with tenacious claws, a short neck and a flattened head with small ears. Their tail is also long and muscular. Otters have small but sharp teeth. A distinctive feature of these animals is the swimming membranes on their paws. The fur of all types of otters is very short and extremely dense. This type of fur does not allow water to pass through and is highly valued. All species of otters are brown in color with a lighter throat and belly.
Otters live on all continents except Australia. These animals are very closely associated with water and settle along the banks of rivers with gentle currents. However, the cat otter from South America prefers sea coasts, and the African Congolese otter settles in mountain rivers with rapid currents. Most often, otters live in burrows, sometimes they occupy caves near the water or make a den in reed thickets. All otters live alone except for a short period when the female raises her cubs. Only giant otters form permanent family groups of 10-15 individuals. Otters occupy permanent areas, which they mark and protect from intrusion by neighbors. In the event of a lack of food, otters can wander; for example, an ordinary otter can walk 10-15 km per day in winter, which is a lot for an animal with such short legs.
Otter jumping into the water.
All species of otters feed primarily on fish, sometimes supplementing it with crustaceans, mollusks, bird eggs or terrestrial rodents. These animals are quite voracious and spend a lot of time searching for food. In water, otters are unusually agile: they swim quickly, dive deeply and can hold their breath for several minutes. Underwater, these animals move like loaches, bending their bodies, tumbling and capsizing. Not a single fish can resist the dexterity of otters! Otters are such successful hunters that when they are full, they often catch fish for play - they either release them or catch them again.
An otter eats its prey.
Due to the lack of fish, otters love to tumble in the river and generally spend a lot of time in the water, even cleaning themselves there. Otters devote a lot of time to their toilet, because its heat-conducting properties depend on the cleanliness of their fur. Otters of the temperate zone are not afraid of frost and even at low temperatures dive into water.
An otter on the ice of a river eats a caught shellfish.
Otters breed once a year, usually the breeding season occurs in the spring (for northern species) or the beginning of the rainy season (for African otters).
A couple of otters.
An interesting phenomenon is observed in the common and other temperate otters: after fertilization, the development of the embryo stops (this is called the latent, that is, hidden phase), and then continues again.
Baby otter.
The duration of the latent period can reach up to 270 days! Thus, the female can bring offspring both in January and April of the next year. There are 2-4 cubs in a brood. They are born blind and helpless, and only gain sight after a month. The young stay with their mother for a long time, mastering the difficult art of water hunting.
Depending on the area where a particular type of otter lives, its enemies may be wolves, crocodiles, jaguars or birds of prey that can catch an otter that has moved away from the river. But the main enemy of otters is hunger. A dexterous otter can catch any fish, but is helpless in the face of its absence. Therefore, these animals are found only in remote and untouched corners of nature, where the proximity of people and water pollution do not undermine fish stocks. In general, otters have suffered greatly at the hands of humans. The unique fur of the otter, which is considered the most durable (long-lasting) fur in the world, has made these animals the object of insatiable hunting. In many places, the populations of this animal have been undermined by fishing, and some species of otters are on the verge of extinction. The situation is aggravated by the fact that, due to the specifics of their biology, otters cannot be bred in captivity on an industrial scale (like minks, for example), although these animals are very smart and easily tamed. Only widespread protection can save these wonderful animals.
