Eurasian Otter

The common otter is a smooth, water-loving animal with thick brown fur, a pale throat and chest, and a long, narrowing tail that helps it steer underwater. Adults can grow up to 1.3 metres long including the tail and weigh between 7 and 12 kilograms. They have a flat head, small ears, and noticeable whiskers that help them find food in cloudy water. They live across Britain and Ireland and are becoming more common in England after numbers dropped in the past. You can find them by rivers, lakes, coastal waters, and estuaries where there are enough fish to eat. You can spot signs of otters by their five-toed footprints in mud, droppings left on rocks or logs that have a sweet, musty smell, and worn paths where they slide into the water. They are mostly active at dawn and dusk, but those living on the coast may move with the tides.