IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group

Volume 18 Issue 2 Pages 54 - 101 (October 2001)

Call for Information
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Hello,

I am working as a paleontologist on the evolution and paleobiology of carnivorous mammals. From the Eocene locality Messel in Germany, a coprolit was reported contenting a lower jaw of a primate. It was supposed that the coprolit came from Buxolestes piscator, an otter-like pantolestid.

Is there anything reported of modern, wild otters feeding on tetrapod carrions?

Thank you very much in advance!
Michael Morlo
Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg
Abt. Messelforschung
Senckenberganlage 25
D-60325 Frankfurt a.M.
Phone: +49 69 7542 263 Fax: +49 69 7542 203

Colleagues

I have a contract to make recommendations for monitoring otters (and their habitat) in Special Areas for Conservation, designated under the EU Habitats Directive. The UK is required to report on the 'condition' of these sites in relation to otters and I assume that the same applies in other countries. This is separate to the National Otter Survey schemes and needs to work in relatively small areas (such that there might be only 8-12 national survey sites within some of them). It will therefore be necessary to adopt a different approach. The sites are mainly rivers and snow tracking is not an option in the UK. It is likely that only a few days work per year will be allocated to this.

I would be very interested to know of any other EU countries where work on this is under way or from anyone who has experience of devising a long term, low cost monitoring scheme on a local basis.

Thanks very much.
Best wishes
Paul Chanin
North View Cottage, Union Road, CREDITON, Devon, EX17 3AL UK
Tel.: 01363 774072

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