Mustelidae Spotlight: European Otter

I hope--given the name of this species of otter--I don't need to explain where to find these guys on the planet. Well, maybe I do, because you would be surprised how the names of some species can be misleading. My friend Shawn O'Toole and I know this all too well. In this case, it is the truth, and you will never find a European otter in the Americas. But isn't that a shame? Don't we deserve love too? Can't there be an otter for everyone? I digress.

I read as many "ottercles" about these musties as I could. I was actually surprised to find a distinct lack of playfulness in these guys. That is not to say that they are not social, but they seem fairly persnickety about their territory. The territory thing is interesting though. The males don't really like each other. They are not allowed in each other territory without being driven out; however, male and female territories are allowed to overlap. Why not?! Seems like a good idea to me!

The European otter has a very interesting form. Their bodies are about 37 inches long, and appear to have very stout bodily structure. Their faces are broad and a little bit menacing looking. They also have a really long tail as otters go--sometimes up to 18 inches long. So clearly, the European otter is a big, big guy.

European otters actually prefer freshwater. but they can swim about in saltwater as well. Besides, there are lots of yummy fish in the sea. Sometimes, the ocean can be far nicer than some "otter" place. The only problem is that all that salt can really mess up their fur. Ultimately, they need to go find a freshwater source to clean themselves off. One more tidbit about their swimming habits is that the European otter is born with a condition called osteosclerosis, which basically means they have have an elevated bone density. This leads to reductions in buoyancy while swimming. It gives the phrase "sink or swim" new meaning, doesn't it?

I really do like how these guys look, but what the heck is with their eyes. They look like they are just so irritable. What made these cute guys so cynical? Must be all those Japanese stories about how they murder people. A lot of the playfulness that I have come to know in otters seems to be a little lost here.

I haven't seen any fiction for this specific breed, Their may be some to be found in Europe, but they haven't come across my desk. I do think that their personalities would be more sardonic since they do seem a bit grumpier than the "otter" ones. When I looked at them I saw visions of grumpy, old fishermen who don't deal with others well. Just a thought.

Anyways, I still have a few more otters to talk about. Stay tuned for the next blogs to hear more about the wonderful world of the otter! It "otter" be great!

Thanks for reading this blog. If you enjoyed it, you can comment below or you can email me at tooie@tooiekangaroo.com. I'm "otter" here!