Title:

Diet of otters Lutra lutra in central Finland

Creator:

Sulkava, R.

Place of publishing:

Białowieża

Date issued/created:

1996

Description:

The diet of otters Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758) in central Finland was studied in 1988-1993 by analysing 1506 spraints. The main components of the diet of otters are fish and amaphibians. The most important fishes for otters are small (body length mostly less than 15 cm) cyprinids, perches and pikes. The composition of food varies seasonally. In winter amphibians are the most important prey (33.2% of all food). Perches, pikes and cyprinids are important during all seasons, but in winter small sculpins (9.8% of the food) and burbots (8.9%) are also important. In spring the most important prey are cyprinids (38.7% of the food). Amphibians are important, especially in the smallest streamlets (in winter, 68.4% of the food). Otters also eat toads Bufo bufo. In some areas crayfish and mammals are quite important; but for most otters in the study area salomonids, birds, replites, insects, mollusks and plants are only occasional food. Most of the otters in the study area live in small forest rivers. In central Finland in winter amphibians and sculpins are of great importance for otters living in small rivers.

Type of object:

Journal/Article

Subject and Keywords:

Finland ; diet ; Lutra lutra ; Finlandia ; dieta ; pokarm ; wydra

Relation:

Acta Theriologica

Volume:

41

Issue:

4

Start page:

395

End page:

408

Resource type:

Text

Detailed Resource Type:

Article

Format:

application/pdf

Resource Identifier:

10.4098/AT.arch.96-38

Source:

click here to follow the link

Language:

eng ; Sum. eng.

Rights:

Rights Reserved - Free Access

Terms of use:

Copyright-protected material. May be used within the limits of statutory user freedoms

Digitizing institution:

Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Original in:

Library of the Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences

Projects co-financed by:

Programme Innovative Economy, 2010-2014, Priority Axis 2. R&D infrastructure ; European Union. European Regional Development Fund

Access:

Open