Otter

Scientific name: Lutra lutra
It is a species that can be found in all the drainage basins of the country. The body is long and winding and the tail is used for moving forward and steering. Its fingers are united by a membrane which is helpul for swimming. Although they are good swimmers, the can reach 29 km/h on dryland. Their lairs are sometimes ‘furnished’ with multiple rooms dug, at most, at a 500 m-distance from the waterbanks. These animals mark their territory by using their anal glands, the males having a much larger territory than the females. Otters are animals that are usually active during the day, but some of them exercise a nocturnal lifestyle. Their food is procured from the water. Otters feed on fish, frogs, crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates, the daily necessary quantity of food for an otter varying between 15 and 25% of the body mass of the animal. The necessary food quantity is also influenced by the season. Most otters hunt between 3 and 5 hours a day. Males live a solitary life, looking for a mate only during the mating season, while females take care of the cubs. Otters prefer the wooded banks of mountain lakes, ponds, rivers and any water sources, from lowlands to mountains and even the coastal areas next to the Danube Delta. Where can be found:
Cheile Turenilor (SiteCode ROSCI0034)
Igniș (SiteCode ROSCI0092)
Munții Trascăului ( SiteCode ROSPA0087)
Valea Izei si Dealul Solovan (SiteCode ROSCI0264)

Category
Protected species