black sea red data book - Department of Biology

Lutra lutra Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms: Mustela lutra L., 1758; Lustra vulgaris Ercsl., 1777; Mustela lutra
piscatoria Kerr., 1792; Lutra nudipes Melch., 1834; Lutra roensis Ogillby, 1834;
Lutronectes whiteleyi Gray, 1847
Common names: Engl: Common (Eurasian, European, Old World, river) otter;
Bulg: Vidra; Rom: Lutra; Russ: Obyknovennaya, rechnaya vydra; Ukr: Vydra
richkova
Order CARNÍVORA
Family MUSTELIDAE
Taxonomic description. Body long and slender, legs short, tail long with thick base
and tapering evenly. Broad muzzle, small ears, all four feet webbed. Swims
smoothly, watching from the water with only the eyes and nose above the surface.
Head-body length: male 60-90 cm; female 59-70 cm. Tail length: male 36-47 cm;
female 35-42 cm. Hind-foot length: 1-13.5 cm. Shoulder -height: 30 cm. Weight: 6-
17 kg. Dental formula: 3/3, 1/1, 4/3-4, _ = 36-38.
IUCN Status
World level: EN
Black Sea Regional level: EN
Subregion level: EN
Distribution. Throughout Europe, but not on Mediterranean islands In Algeria and
Morocco, Asia Minor, India, Indo-China, China and Japan, and Central Asia and
South Siberia. Black Sea Coast: in the rivers flowing into the Black Sea. On the
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the rivers Rezovska, Veleka, Diavolska, Ropotamo,
Kamtchia, Batova, and some coastal lakes and swamps.
Habitat type, Critical habitats, Limiting factors. Fresh water (rivers,lakes, canals,
marshes, sometimes ditches with only a few centimeters of water); also marine
environment (coasts and estuaries). Lives in cavities in banks, hollow trees, between
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