Distribution of the European otter in 2022 and 2024

 

The Otter Lutra lutra is a species in a phase of expansion, gradually recolonising territories from which it had disappeared. Its distribution now covers all the regions south of a line between Laval and Lyon.

 

The otter is discreet and rarely observed directly, but the use of photographic traps and the search for clues (droppings, proofs, runs) enable its presence to be detected quickly.

 

Otters have a habit of marking the places they frequent with their scent, regularly depositing epreintes (droppings that are often quite liquid, hence the name). These droppings, which have a strong but not unpleasant odour, are often made up of fragments of crayfish shells, fish bones or amphibian bones.

 

The main threats to the otter are road collisions, particularly at bridges, contamination by pollutants, the drying up of rivers and the disappearance of fish.

 

Image caption: Otter hunting. © Saxifraga-Marc Zekhuis.

 

Note: data hidden by observers do not appear on this map.

 

Map based on collective data from Faune-France and its partners. No use authorised without the prior consent of the LPO.