Asian short-clawed otter

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On my recent visit to Cornwall I couldn’t resist spending some time with otters, a real favourite species of mine. As my family were with me on this trip I knew I wouldn’t have the opportunity to put in the amount of time required to find and photograph otters in the wild, but I did manage to at least scout some locations for future work (see my previous post on Golitha Falls for more on that).

Instead we paid a visit to the Tamar Otter & Wildlife Centre near Launceston, where they have captive populations of both Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) and also Asian Short-Clawed Otter (Aonyx cinerea).

Asian short-clawed otters are the smallest species of otter, highly playful and talkative, emitting constant squeaks as they interact. They are the species you are most likely to find in zoos and animal parks, but are sadly classed as vulnerable in the wild. Population losses have occurred due to the supposed medicinal properties of their body parts in local Asian remedies.

Contrast this with the much larger Eurasian Otter which is the species you find on the rivers and coasts of Britain. One thing I hear people say in the UK is that they have seen “sea otters” in Scotland, but this is in fact untrue. The Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) is found only around the Pacific Ocean rim, not in Europe. Otters in the UK are one of our big conservation success stories and their numbers are rebounding, having reached critically low levels in the 1970s.

If you’d like to learn more about otters and their conservation visit the International Otter Survival Fund website and give them your support.