Cryptic Encounter: Sea Otter Seen With Pocket-Sized Device in Open Waters - Enthusiasts of aquatic life sporting remarkably thick coats - the otters
Eurasian Otters: Germany's Largest Native Weasels with Dense Fur
The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is the largest native weasel species in Germany, as stated by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation. These elusive creatures are most active at night and twilight, reducing the chances for human sightings. On an average night, otters can travel distances of up to 20 kilometers.
Multiple females often claim territories within a male's territory. Otters do not have a specific mating season, implying their offspring can be born at any time of the year. A typical litter consists of one to three pups, who usually leave their mother's territory after about 14 months.
According to the German Hunting Association, otters can consume up to one kilogram of fish per day. Their diet extends beyond fish to frogs, crabs, waterbirds, and certain mice. The association also reports that wild otters can live up to nine or ten years.
Otters weigh up to 12 kilograms, with their flat, broad heads and bodies reaching up to 1.20 meters in length, a third of which is their tails. Their distinctive feature is the densest fur among native German wildlife, with up to 80,000 hairs per square centimeter of skin, in contrast to the average human head, which has around 200 hairs on the same area.
With their webbed paws, otters can dive for up to eight minutes. Their underwater hunting skills are impressive, making them formidable predators in the ecosystem.
While specific dietary habits of otters in Mainz, Germany, are not directly addressed in the available studies, their typical diet can be inferred from their broader ecology and behavior. Primarily, Eurasian otters feed on fish, which are abundant in rivers such as the Rhine near Mainz. They also consume amphibians, crustaceans, mollusks, insects, and occasionally small mammals or birds, with seasonal variations in their diet based on the availability of specific prey.
- Germany
- Mainz
In the heart of Germany, particularly the city of Mainz, the Eurasian otters demonstrate a diverse feeding lifestyle, primarily focusing on fish from the plentiful rivers like the Rhine. Residents of community policies, especially those in home-and-garden settings, might also notice the occasional presence of these stealthy predators, particularly amid home-and-garden landscaping activities such as gardening, as they search for other prey like amphibians, crustaceans, and insects.
