Otters

Otters live in habitats near bodies of water such as rivers, streams, ditches, ponds, lakes, canals and marshes as well as in coastal areas and estuaries. Otters are well adapted to an aquatic lifestyle with sleek fur and webbed feet. They have been recorded in both the Tamar Valley and the Plym Valley.

Otters are generally nocturnal and during the day otters rest in a holt which can be in a tree rooting system, a hole in a bank or under a pile of rocks. Otters can travel distances of 20km or more each night. Their diet is primarily fish, although crustaceans, molluscs, frogs, voles and aquatic birds may also be eaten.

Otter numbers dramatically declined during the late 1950s and early 1960s. By the late 1970s, otter numbers had fallen by 75 per cent in Devon. The cause of the rapid fall in otter numbers was due to the leaching of pesticides into watercourses which poisoned both fish and otters. Many of the pesticides have now been banned and there are tighter regulations on the applications of pesticides.

Otters are a European Protected Species. Both otters themselves and their resting places are protected under a combination of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and the Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994 (as amended). It is an offence to deliberately, capture, injure or kill otters or to damage, destroy or obstruct their breeding or resting places. It is also an offence to disturb otters in their breeding or resting places.

In Devon the otter population has recovered well, with signs of otter presence found across the county’s entire network of watercourses. For more information on otters visit Natural England. If you would like to get involved with surveying for otters visit The Devon Wildlife Trust.