2013Fauna - First Day Cover

Otter (Lutra lutra) is the biggest European marten that adjusted its life in the water and is the best swimmer of all terrestrial carnivores. It has a slender, elongated body with short legs, below the outer layer of fur there is soft layer of fur. It is built in the way that is capable to swim and dive and can withstand in the water for very long. Its eyes are situated close to the top of the skull in order to see above the water’s surface when it swims just under the surface and little ears with the valve close the entrance into hearing canal. It catches its prey with strong and sharp teeth. Sharp sense of smell and the tips of its whiskers are very sensitive to touch, helping it to find food in murky water. It calls out with a quite but clear whistle, with snorts, squeals and growls. It built its den near calm river banks covered with dense vegetation or among old trees with massive submerged roots immersed in water. It feeds with fish, crabs, shellfish, frogs, small mammals and other aquatic animals. Otters don’t have specific time for mating. In the area of one male otter, several female otters lives which give birth of 2 or 3 cubs, which are completely helpless during the first 6 weeks of life and live only from breast milk. After eight to nine months young otters separate from mother for a short time and become fully independent in the twelve month. Otters are now endangered species mainly due to favorable habitat destruction, water pollution, harassment and poaching.