This document discusses the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), providing details about its external morphology, scientific classification, distribution and subspecies. It is described as a large otter with dark brown coat and light grey underbelly, well adapted for an aquatic lifestyle. The document outlines that it is found across Europe and Asia, and lists its conservation status as Near Threatened by IUCN and protected under Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act. Distribution in India includes the Himalayas, eastern and southern regions, with best sightings at Corbett National Park.

1. Wild otter of duars (Series: XI a)
Tusar Kanti Ghosal M.Sc Ph.D Email: drtkghosal@gmail.com
Common name: European otter, Eurasian Otter, Eurasian
river otter, Common otter and Old World Otter
Scientific name : Lutra lutra (Linn.1758)
Lutra lutra monticolus Hodgson,1839
Bengali name : Vondor
Dated: 17.11.2018

2. External morphology
Otters are well adapted to a life in
and near the water. It is a large
otter with a conical tail; dark brown
coat and a light grey underbelly. It
has an elongated, sinuous body;
webbed feet, short legs; a long,
tapering and muscular tail; head is
flat; nostrils, eyes and ears are
placed in one line (These feathers
enables it to swim and use all these
three senses at the same time)

3. Scientific classifiaction
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Lutra lutra
Species: L. lutra

4. Distribution of sub-species Lutra lutra
Subspecies of L. lutra:
lutra Paleartic
aurobrunnea Nepal
barang Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java
chinensis China
kutab Kashmir, India
meridionalis Iran, southern Russia
monticola Nepal, Sikkim, Assam
nair Sri Lanka, southern India
seistanica Afghanistan, Russia-Pamir
whiteleyi Japan

5. Indian Distribution:
Himalaya, eastern and southern India. Best seen at
Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand).
1.Lutra lutra kutub - Jammu & Kashmir
2.Lutra lutra monticola - Assam, Nepal, Sikkim
3.Lutra lutra aurobrunnea - Uttarakhand
4.Lutra lutra nair - South India

6. Global distribution

7. CONSERVATION STATUS
In Asia, it is listed as endangered in Pakistan, India, Bangladeh,
Myanmar and Thailand, and critically endangered in
Mongolia.
CITES: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of flora and fauna has enlisted the Eurasian otter in
their Appendix I ("Appendix I: Includes all species threatened
with extinction which are or may be affected by trade“.)
IUCN RED DATA: Near Threatened (NT)
Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act: Schedule-II

8. REFERENCES
Duplaix-Hall, N. (1975): River otters in captivity; a Review. In: Martin,
R.D. (Ed): Breeding Endangered species in captivity, London, pp 315-
327
Kruuk, H. (1995):Wild otters: Predation and Populations. Oxford
University Press, pp 123-124
Joshi, AS, Tumsare VM, Nagar, Akand Pariwakam, MP (2016) .
Photographic Records of Euraean Otter Lutra lutra from the central
Indian landscape. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 33(1): 73-78.
The Euraean Otter (Lutra lutra). English nature. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
Menon, V. (2014). Indian Mammals: A field guide. Hachette Book
Publishing India Pvt. Ltd. P. 302
Roos, A., Loy, A., de Silva, P., Hajkova, P. & Zemanová, B. (2015). Lutra
lutra. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015:
www.otterspecialistgroup.org. IUCN. (2017). Retrieved 2017-01-27

9. Published: 17.11.2018