CAUCASIAN OTTER

Lutra lutra (subsp. meridionalis)

VERTEBRATES - VERTEBRATA Squad: Carnivora - Caivora Family: Mustelids - Mustelidae Genus: Lutra Ognev, 1931

Spreading: The range of the Caucasian otter covers the territory from the West. Caucasus up to Talysh inclusive, the upper limit of distribution is 2000 m n.s.l. Sev. the border runs along the river. Kuban and Kume, app. and east. - along the coasts of the Black and Caspian Seas, and in the south, apparently, it goes beyond the borders of the country. Within Zap. The Caucasus is widely found along numerous tributaries of large rivers: the Kuban, Belaya, Teberda, Ust-Labinskaya, Zelenchuk, etc., as well as in all deltas; on many rivers of the Black Sea coast that flow into the Black Sea (Psou, Mzymta, Khosta, Sochi, Dagomys, etc.). Here in the mountains rises to a height 2000 m n.s.l. In the Central Caucasus (within the Elbrus and Terek variants), the Caucasian otter is found along the river valleys. Malka, Baksan, Chegem, Urvan, Urukh, Cherek, Terek, etc. In Dagestan, it is registered in the lower reaches of the river. Sulak, Four-Kasteu, Samur. It is found on many rivers of the Caspian coast, flowing into the Caspian Sea. Into the mountains rises up 2000 m . Outside of Russia, it is found in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.

Habitat:The Caucasian otter prefers fast-flowing foothill and mountain rivers, wooded banks and an abundance of the main food - fish (trout). Active at dusk and at night. It usually stays alone. For housing chooses fresh water. Burrows are arranged in the roots of trees, under snags, on the depressions of washed-out banks. The entrance to the burrows is hidden under water. Sometimes the otter makes large transitions to other water bodies, while overcoming high watersheds, passing tens of kilometers. The biology of reproduction is not well understood. Estrus occurs at the beginning of winter. Pregnancy with a latent period lasts 9-10 months. Juveniles, usually 2 to 4, are found mostly in May. The young are raised by both parents. Maturity occurs, apparently, in the third year of life.

Number:Within its range, the number of otters is not the same, and the otter does not form large concentrations anywhere. On Sev. In the Caucasus at the beginning of the current century, in some places it was a common species (in the West and Central Caucasus). The number within the entire range seems to be declining. However, this figure is not the same in different parts of the region. On the Zap. In the Caucasus (Krasnodar and partly Stavropol Territory), it is the most stable according to recent records. About 260 individuals live on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory, mainly in the Caucasian Reserve. In the Teberdinsky Reserve, at present, as in the past, it is a rare species in terms of abundance. The number of otters is somewhat higher in the Central Caucasus, especially in the riverbed. Terek and its tributaries, where, according to the State Hunting and Wildlife Administration and the inspection of Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia, there are about 100 animals. In Dagestan, the abundance data are close to those known for the Elbrus variant (bass of the Malka River), i.e. no more than 10-50 individuals. In the territories of the Transcaucasian republics, judging by the literature data, the otter is also rare. Its number is somewhat higher in Georgia, especially in western. parts. On the territory of Georgia 1980 . about 4.5 thousand individuals were counted. The main limiting factors in the number of otters in the Caucasus include the deterioration of the hydrological regime in the territories of spillways, the regulation of the flows of many rivers, the decrease in the number of fish due to pollution of water bodies, poaching, the reduction of tree and shrub vegetation along river banks, their strengthening with various engineering structures, etc.

Security: Listed at the species level in Appendix 1 of CITES. It is protected by all the reserves of the Caucasian region, as well as various reserves. As private measures to counteract the decline in the number of predators, it is necessary to strengthen the education of the population on the protection of the species and the fight against poaching. The Caucasian otter reacts extremely quickly to protection measures, of course, if they also cover its biotopes with their food resources and protective conditions. Sources:1. Rossikov, 1887; 2. Satunin, 1916; 3. Turov, 1926; 4. Ognev, 1931; 5. Boehme, 1928; 6. Krasovsky, 1932; 7. Geptner et al., 1941; 8. Geptner et al., 1967; 9. Dvoychenko, 1955; 10. Ahrens, 1957; 11. Inyakova, 1957; 12. Vereshchagin, 1959; 13. Ryabov, 1959; 14. Tembotov, 1960; 15. Tembotov, 1972; 16. Tembotov, 1982; 17. Tembotov, 1984; 18. Kotov and Ryabov, 1963; 19. Gromov et al., 1963; 20. Bobrinsky, 1965; 21. Weisfeld, 1977; 22. Khahin, 1984; 23. Kolosov, 1982; 24. Dzuev, 1989; 25. Plotnikov, 1994; 26. Rukovsky, 1953; 27. Arabuyan, 1979; 28. Yenukidze et al., 1979; 29. Lavrov, 1985; 30. Spassky, pers. message Compiled by:R.I. Dzuev, A.A. Guketlova

Appearance. Medium-sized short-legged animal (body length 70-75 cm, tail 40-50 cm). The body is elongated, the tail is strong, thick at the base, gradually tapering towards the end. The head is flattened, the muzzle is wide, blunt, the ears barely protrude from the fur. The color is dark brown, shiny, slightly darker above, with a silvery tint below. The fingers are connected by a web. The eyes glow faintly with a copper-red light at night.

Spreading. The otter is distributed everywhere, except for the tundra and arid regions, but almost everywhere it is rare or has disappeared due to hunting, water pollution and a decrease in fish stocks. Relatively common only in some places in the north and north-west of the European part of Russia, in the middle Ob, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, in the Amur basin and in the reserves of Primorye. In the Southern Kuriles, it is completely exterminated.

Inhabits the banks of fish rivers and lakes; in winter it stays near polynyas and non-freezing areas. In some places it is also found along the wooded coasts of the seas.

Biology and behavior. It digs holes in washed-out banks near the water itself or uses various shelters.

The otter is a very mobile animal, spending a significant part of the time in games. On land, she looks clumsy, but in the water she moves quickly, catching even the fastest fish. She is very fond of running with a running start on smooth ice or steep slopes, where characteristic grooves remain on clay or snow. Otters have special "rolling hills" that the animals have been using for decades to play. On the reservoirs where otters live, you can also find areas on the shore with trampled grass, where otters rest during the day, as well as feeding and viewing "tables" with leftover food and droppings.

Traces. The footprints are very characteristically shaped, with drop-shaped fingerprints and an elongated heel on the hind feet. The first toe is often not imprinted, especially near the front paws, but even in not very deep snow, a furrow from the tail usually remains. The size of the footprint is approximately 12 x 10 cm. The footprints are arranged in oblique rows of three or four. Jump length 60-90 cm.

Nutrition. Feeds on fish, frogs and crayfish, occasionally eats rodents and birds. Hunts at night, very careful.

Reproduction. The rut is usually in early spring, but mating can occur at any time of the year. There are 3-4 cubs in a brood. They see clearly earlier than other mustelids, but usually stay with their mother for quite a long time (about a year). The female bravely protects the cubs from predators, sometimes even throwing herself at a person.

Economic value. Among fishermen and hunters, there is a widespread opinion about the harmfulness of the otter. But careful research has shown that in places where the otter settles, fish catches increase rapidly. It “removes” sick and weakened fish from the reservoir and destroys the weedy fish in bulk, thereby protecting the eggs of commercial species from eating. It is estimated that on Sakhalin, otters, by protecting salmon eggs, increase its catch by the same amount as all the fish farms of the island combined.

In the past, the otter was an important game animal, now serious commercial value has been preserved only in the north of the European part of Russia and the Far East.

Lutra lutra (meridionalis) Ognev, 1931

Spreading: The range of the Caucasian otter covers the territory from the West. Caucasus up to Talysh inclusive, the upper limit of distribution is 2000 m a.s.l. Sev. the border runs along the river. Kuban and Kume, app. and east. - along the coasts of the Black and Caspian Seas, and in the south, apparently, it goes beyond the borders of the country. Within Zap. The Caucasus is widely found along numerous tributaries of large rivers: the Kuban, Belaya, Teberda, Ust-Labinskaya, Zelenchuk, etc., as well as in all deltas; on many rivers of the Black Sea coast that flow into the Black Sea (Psou, Mzymta, Khosta, Sochi, Dagomys, etc.). Here in the mountains it rises to a height of 2000 m above sea level. In the Central Caucasus (within the Elbrus and Terek variants), the Caucasian otter is found along the river valleys. Malka, Baksan, Chegem, Urvan, Urukh, Cherek, Terek, etc. In Dagestan, it is registered in the lower reaches of the river. Sulak, Four-Kasteu, Samur. It is found on many rivers of the Caspian coast, flowing into the Caspian Sea. It rises up to 2000 m in the mountains. Outside of Russia, it is found in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.

Habitat: The Caucasian otter prefers fast-flowing foothill and mountain rivers, wooded banks and an abundance of the main food - fish (trout). Active at dusk and at night. It usually stays alone. For housing chooses fresh water. Burrows are arranged in the roots of trees, under snags, on the depressions of washed-out banks. The entrance to the burrows is hidden under water. Sometimes the otter makes large transitions to other water bodies, while overcoming high watersheds, passing tens of kilometers. The biology of reproduction is not well understood. Estrus occurs at the beginning of winter. Pregnancy with a latent period lasts 9-10 months. Juveniles, usually 2 to 4, are found mostly in May. The young are raised by both parents. Maturity occurs, apparently, in the third year of life.

Number: Within its range, the number of otters is not the same, and the otter does not form large concentrations anywhere. On Sev. In the Caucasus at the beginning of the current century, in some places it was a common species (in the West and Central Caucasus). The number within the entire range seems to be declining. However, this figure is not the same in different parts of the region. On the Zap. In the Caucasus (Krasnodar and partly Stavropol Territory), it is the most stable according to recent records. About 260 individuals live on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory, mainly in the Caucasian Reserve. In the Teberdinsky Reserve, at present, as in the past, it is a rare species in terms of abundance. The number of otters is somewhat higher in the Central Caucasus, especially in the riverbed. Terek and its tributaries, where, according to the State Hunting and Wildlife Administration and the inspection of Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia, there are about 100 animals. In Dagestan, the abundance data are close to those known for the Elbrus variant (bass of the Malka River), i.e. no more than 10-50 individuals. In the territories of the Transcaucasian republics, judging by the literature data, the otter is also rare. Its number is somewhat higher in Georgia, especially in western. parts. On the territory of Georgia in 1980, about 4.5 thousand individuals were counted. The main limiting factors in the number of otters in the Caucasus include the deterioration of the hydrological regime in the territories of spillways, the regulation of the flows of many rivers, the decrease in the number of fish due to pollution of water bodies, poaching, the reduction of tree and shrub vegetation along river banks, their strengthening with various engineering structures, etc.

Security: Listed at the species level in Appendix 1 of CITES. It is protected by all the reserves of the Caucasian region, as well as various reserves. As private measures to counteract the decline in the number of predators, it is necessary to strengthen the education of the population on the protection of the species and the fight against poaching. The Caucasian otter reacts extremely quickly to protection measures, of course, if they also cover its biotopes with their food resources and protective conditions.

The Caucasian otter is a predatory animal that looks like a marten or mink. The animal has an elongated body, is an active hunter, belongs to the Mustelidae family. This subspecies is found in the Western Caucasus, it is found in the Kuban and in the Kuma regions, near the sea coasts. Today, the Caucasian otter is listed in the Red Book of Russia.

In this article, we will talk about this endangered species, about the animal's habits and habitat, about interesting facts related to these amazing animals.

Caucasian otter: description

This is a fairly large predator. With a tail, its body length is one hundred and twenty centimeters. Adults weigh from five to nine and a half kilograms. An elongated and relatively thin body, a short neck, ears that practically do not protrude from the fur with closing auditory canals, webbed fingers, short paws, a small head and a rather long tail, which tapers noticeably towards the end - everything in the body of this animal is adapted to life in water and on land.

The body is covered with a dense, even and low hairline. The back of the animal is painted light brown, on the abdomen - lighter with a beautiful silvery sheen. Downy hairs are whitish at the base and brown at the ends. You have learned what a Caucasian otter looks like. It's time to get acquainted with the features of her behavior and habitat.

Spreading

The Caucasian otter is common in the aquatic ecosystems of the Transcaucasus, the North Caucasus, and in some regions of Asia Minor. Today, the beast is found in mountain rivers, at an altitude of up to 2500 meters above sea level, in artificial channels, steppe rivers, rice systems and ditches. Previously, the Caucasian otter inhabited almost all the rivers that flowed into the Black Sea.

The otter lives in the lower reaches of the Terek, in the floodplains of the Kuban and Rioni. It is seen in Abkhazia and Ciscaucasia, in the rivers that carry their waters to the Caspian Sea. There is a Caucasian otter in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Nutrition

In the diet of the Caucasian otter, fish makes up almost 80%. The animal feeds on frogs and crayfish, in rice systems it eats amphibians. Often attacks rodents and birds. Do not miss the opportunity to enjoy some types of plants. The Caucasian otter is a very fast predator. An interesting way of hunting this otter - often she catches fish almost by the tail, and does it somehow lazily and gracefully, without any haste.

In the Kuban, the otter hunts leisurely crucian carp, will not refuse pike, and easily catches up with nimble trout. But it is interesting that this aquatic hunter, under no circumstances, catches the next fish until he has eaten the one he has caught.

Activity

The Caucasian otter is a rather secretive animal, leading a nocturnal lifestyle, more precisely, twilight. Due to the fact that she lives on the banks of fresh water bodies, it is easy to guess that the animals build their holes in places hidden by water: in the roots of trees, under snags. It can settle in old muskrat burrows on rice systems, washouts in the banks.

Lifestyle

Caucasian otters are secretive animals, it is not easy to notice them. Animals are active at night. They are endowed with high sensitivity: hearing, smell and vision are reliable assistants in the most difficult situations. The otter has many temporary shelters, but there is always a permanent hole in which offspring are hatched.

The pregnancy lasts almost nine weeks. Babies are born completely helpless, blind, but grow rapidly and after two months they go hunting with their mother. Otters are very caring mothers. A case was recorded when a disturbed female rushed to the fishermen, protecting her offspring. And only after people left the place where the hole was located, the female returned to the cubs.

Caucasian otters are solitary animals. Pairs build only during the rut. During this period, pairs of animals are found even in the daytime. A brood averages four puppies. Young individuals stay together for about a year, after which they return to a solitary lifestyle.

Protective status

In Russia, the Caucasian otter is under state protection. These animals are included in the Red Books of the Kuban, Krasnodar Territory and the Russian Federation as a rare species, the number of which is declining. What caused the decrease in the population of these strong, dexterous, resourceful and hardy animals? The answer is quite obvious - changes in nature associated with human activities.

Massive deforestation, which led to changes in the balance of mountain rivers, strongly affected the number of these animals. Pollution from industrial enterprises caused the death of a huge number of fish, and aquatic predators were left with virtually no food. And, of course, the huge demand for animal fur played a negative role.

There are no exact indicators of the number of Caucasian otters, since the animals can migrate. In the Krasnodar Territory, there are now about 260 individuals, most of which live in the Caucasian Reserve. But there are also optimistic forecasts. The reserves of the North Caucasus in the region of Tuapse, Greater Sochi, where clean and transparent mountain rivers flow, are gradually inhabited by the otter, where it is under human protection.

• The otter is an easily tamed animal. This friendly animal is kept as a pet or used as a fish catcher in many countries.
• Otters have excellent memories. These animals remember their name, follow the owner like a cat or a dog and remember him all his life.
• There is an opinion that otters benefit the fish industry, as they feed on non-commercial, weed fish. This is probably due to the fact that defective or diseased fish are easier to catch.
• It is believed that the Caucasian otter is a loner, and does not live in families, like, for example, the North American one. However, fishermen meet near (Dagestan) whole families of otters.

A few words in conclusion

At a distance from settlements, this subspecies still feels quite comfortable today, but even there, due to the expansion of the recreational zone in the North Caucasus, there is less and less space left for it. If certain territories are not separated for this animal today, if they are not taken into account when developing tourist areas, then several more populations may disappear forever. Moreover, the populations are poorly studied, as, for example, in Dagestan, where the otter hunts both in estuaries and in the sea water of the Caspian Sea.

Lutra lutra meridionalis Ognev, 1931

Type:

Class:

Squad:

PREDATORY - Carnivora

Systematic position

Mustelidae family - Mustelidae.

Status

3 "Rare" - 3, RD. In the Red Book of the Russian Federation, it is classified as “3 - Rare” with the status of a rare little-studied subspecies. In the Red Book of the USSR, it is included in the category “III. Species declining in numbers "with the status of a rare subspecies.

Global population endangered category on the IUCN Red List

Near Threatened - Near Treated, NT ver. 3.1 (2001).

Category according to IUCN Red List criteria

Regional population categorized as Near Threatened - Near Treated, NT. A. M. GINEEV

Belonging to the objects of action of international agreements and conventions ratified by the Russian Federation

Included in CITES Appendix I at the species level.

Brief morphological description

Relatively large predator. The body length with a tail reaches 1.2 m. The weight of adults is from 5 to 9.5 kg. Elongated and relatively thin body, short neck, ears not protruding from the fur with closing auditory canals, short paws, fingers connected by membranes and flattened in the dorso-ventral direction, a small head and a long tail, strongly tapering towards the end , - everything is adapted to the semi-aquatic lifestyle of the beast. The hairline throughout the body is dense, low and even, light brown on the back, light on the belly with a silvery sheen. Downy hair is whitish at the base and brown at the end.

Spreading

The global range includes the aquatic ecosystems of the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia and certain regions of Asia Minor. Previously, the rivers Kuma and Kuban were considered the northern border of the distribution of the otter in the Caucasus. Occasionally, she entered the floodplains of the Kuban. Now it is found in all mountain (up to 2500 m above sea level), steppe rivers and streams, floodplains of the Kuban, artificial channels, ditches, rice systems. However, it was not present in the floodplains of the Terek until 1992. In KK, the otter used to inhabit all the rivers flowing into the Black Sea, entering along them to a height of 2000 m above sea level. seas, and left-bank tributaries of the Kuban. Most likely, some reports about the meeting of traces in the deltas of the Kuban and Terek refer to random visits of this animal. According to the harvesting materials, since 1959, the fur products of this animal came to KK only from the foothill and mountain-forest regions. In the floodplains of Kuba-ni, the otter reappeared in 1971, merging with the population of this species inhabiting the basins of the Kuban and Don, Kuma and Volga due to the expansion of the Caucasian part of the range of this animal. Such an intensive expansion of the otter on the right bank of the Kuban occurred due to the appearance of various anthropogenic water bodies, including urban stormwater. To date, it has inhabited transformed reservoirs near the Sea of ​​Azov and on the Kuban Plain, artificial reservoirs on the plane and in the foothills. At the same time, it periodically appears in fishery spawning and nursery and pond farms, and lives permanently on rice checks. Despite the fact that its solitary individuals appeared in the water bodies of the Yeysk region since 1986, this animal became a relatively common species only after 20 years. The Caucasian otter inhabits 24 districts of KK. Including: 7 flooded and rice systems, 3 steppe, 5 forest-steppe and 9 mountain-forest districts. The animal relatively intensively develops new habitats, and due to this, the area of ​​its ecological range increases.

Features of biology and ecology

Leads a secretive, semi-aquatic and sedentary lifestyle. When unfamiliar objects are detected, it stands up in a column and emits a characteristic whistle. In autumn, often in search of food objects, it enters the upper reaches of the rivers and from one river system enters another. In areas with an abundance of food (pond farms), up to five individuals can accumulate. Most likely, these are family groups. In steppe rivers and floodplains, in addition to fish, it eats crayfish, in rice systems - amphibians. In the presence of relatively dark bypass structures, frog hunting could be observed in the daytime. He uses bypass pipes as shelters in rice systems, in the natural environment - root voids, washouts in the banks, along the channels he uses old washed-out burrows of the muskrat (Ondatra zibethica). In the upper reaches of the rivers during the rut, pairs of animals can be seen in the daytime. There are 1–4 pups in a brood, with an average of 2.6 puppies. ♀
Up to a year, young ones stay together with, the rest of the time, adults lead a solitary lifestyle. Sexual maturity is reached at 2-3 years. Food competitors in the Caucasus include the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), the raccoon (Procyon lotor), and the European mink (Mustela lutreola). Diseases of the Caucasian otter have not been studied.

Numbers and trends

As a result of the transformation of the floodplain ecosystems, the species, which previously lived only on the left bank of the Kuban, populated all the water bodies of the right bank of the Kuban, including rice and fishery systems. In KK in 1955 there were 1100 individuals of this animal only in the mountain-forest part. In the mid-1980s, 250–300 individuals remained. In subsequent years, its livestock was estimated: 1986-1990 - 0.3; 1991–1995 - 0.26; 1996–2000 - 0.2 and 2001–2005 - 0.8 thousand individuals. The number and range of this exceptionally plastic species is constantly increasing. Currently, there are at least 700 otters in KK.

Limiting factors

The decline in the population of the Caucasian otter in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the flat part of the KK was influenced by the construction of reservoirs, rice systems, pond farms, etc.; in the foothill and mountain districts - deforestation, which led to an increase in surface water runoff and a decrease in fish productivity, with the death of the inhabitants of freshwater reservoirs (frogs, crayfish, their food base), etc. An important influence on the reduction in the number of this animal had an increase reduction of pollution of water bodies by pesticides, pesticides, oil, etc. In addition, poaching still has a significant impact on its population.

Necessary and additional security measures

The state of the population of the Caucasian otter does not cause concern. It is protected in KGPBZ, SNP, SFPZ, as well as Tuapse, Goryacheklyuchevsky, Krymsky, Psebaysky, Sredne-Labinsky, Krasnogorsky, Priazovsky reserves of regional significance. The organization of a single chain of reserves for the GKH and the increase in the area of ​​the Goryacheklyuchevsky reserve in connection with the construction of the Russia-Turkey gas pipeline will improve the protection of many species of mountain and forest animals and their habitats, including otters. It is necessary to intensify the fight against illegal hunting of animals, to increase the responsibility for poaching and the trade in its fur.

Information sources

1. Aristov, Baryshnikov, 2001; 2. Vereshchagin, 1959; 3. Geptner et al., 1967; 4. Gineev, 1985; 5. Gineev et al., 1988; 6. Gineev et al., 2000; 7. Gineev et al., 2001; 8. Kotov and Ryabov, 1963; 9. Red Book of the RSFSR, 1983; 10. Red Book of the Russian Federation, 2001; 11. Red Book of the USSR, 1984; 12. Hunting resources of Russia…, 2004; 13. Tembotov, 1972; 14. Tumanov, 2003; 15. Personal communication of I. Ya. Rozhkov; 16. IUCN, 2004; 17. Unpublished data of A. M. Gineev.