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The mysterious Eurasian otter: what ecological wisdom does their diet reveal?
The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), often called the European otter, is a semiaquatic mammal widely distributed in Eurasia and North Africa. They feed mainly on fish and are endangered in some places, but their numbers are recovering in some areas. This article will explore in depth the Eurasian otter's eating habits and the ecological wisdom they reflect.
Description of the Eurasian otter
The Eurasian otter's appearance is well suited to its aquatic lifestyle, with an overall brown coloration, a cream belly, and a slender body that enables it to move easily through the water. The average body length of this otter is 57 to 95 cm, the tail length can reach 35 to 45 cm, and adult male otters are usually slightly larger than female otters.
The Eurasian otter is the most widespread otter species, found in pure freshwater bodies such as lakes, streams, and rivers, and occasionally in coastal areas.
Lifestyle and diet
The Eurasian otter feeds mainly on fish, but in the cold winter, it also consumes amphibians, insects, shellfish, crustaceans and small mammals. This diverse diet not only helps them adapt to different environments, but also demonstrates their ecological wisdom.
The dietary choices of Eurasian otters show that they are highly adaptable and can adopt a variety of hunting strategies to obtain food.
Ecology and Behavior
Eurasian otters are very territorial animals, and their range varies depending on the abundance of food, usually within a range of 15 to 40 square kilometers. They mark their territory with feces and often hunt at night, hiding in burrows near water during the day.
The territories of females and young will completely cover the territories of females and males, but they are non-seasonal in terms of reproduction, meaning that they can reproduce year-round.
Conservation status
The Eurasian otter's population declined significantly in the second half of the 20th century due to pollution and habitat loss, but with the implementation of conservation measures, the population of the Eurasian otter is recovering in many areas. In the UK, otter habitat increased by 55% between 1994 and 2002. Improvements in clean waters and policies to ban harmful pesticides are also important reasons behind this.
While these measures have helped to restore otter populations, the Eurasian otter is still threatened in some areas, such as Germany and Mongolia.
Future Outlook
For the future survival of the Eurasian otter, we must pay more attention to the protection of its habitat and continue to monitor its population and genetic diversity. As the impact of human activities intensifies, how to balance ecological protection and human needs will become an important issue.
As the natural environment changes, the ecological niche of the Eurasian otter may also change. What does this mean for the health and balance of the ecosystem?
