Nature Protection: Protected Landscape Area Poľana – River Otter (Lutralutra) Issue number
595
Date of issue
09.10.2015
Face value
0.65 €

Of Slovak mammals, the Otter is best adapted to life in the water. It has a slim, but brawny body.  The Otter is very agile, restless, and playful. Adult Otters can weigh 5 to 8 kg, with a body length of 570 to 800 mm, and a tail length of 270 to 500 mm. It has a striking, long body and short strong legs, a head with small ears, and a long tail. It also has swimming membranes between the fingers of its legs, touch hairs on the sides of its mouth, and its whole body is covered with thick and delicate fur. The overall colour of the Otter is brown with only on the bottom part of the neck being white. Otters are active mostly at night. The lifespan of an Otter is usually 15 years.
Otters have 1 to 5 cubs. The cubs are completely helpless for the first 6 weeks. A newly born Otter cub is blind and does not have any fur. Cubs are 12 cm long and weigh 60 grams. Cubs learn to swim only in their 12th week, when they grow their first waterproof fur. They live off and grow solely thanks to mother’s milk. The male Otter does not participate in bringing up and feeding offspring. One year old Otters are already fully independent. They reach sexual maturity at 2 to 3 years of age. The habitat of Otters is banks of flowing and stagnant waters. They feed on fish, crayfish, beaver-rats, frogs, rodents, and sometimes insects. The long and stiff hair of Otter fur is thoroughly greased, which is why it is water repellent. The fur of an Otter is such an effective protection against water that its skin never gets wet. An Otter can swim up to 400 metres under water without needing to take a breath. It can stay under water for up to 6 minutes. At short distances, it can reach a speed of 12 to 16 km per hour.
This species was almost killed-off due to intensive hunting for fur and due to pollution. Its numbers were negatively affected also by regulation of the river banks and the construction of roads across its territories (a large number of these animals are killed by cars). The Otter is a protected species and it can be found also in the Vydrovský stream near Čierny Balog.
                                                                                                                                                                   VYDRA, Vidiecka rozvojová aktivita

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