Eurasian otter
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Eurasian otters use their long, flat tails to change direction underwater.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Eurasian otter
- Scientific name
- Lutra lutra
- Japanese name
- ユーラシアカワウソ
- Group
- Land mammals
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Mustelidae
- Genus
- Lutra
This otter lives in rivers, lakes, marshes and seashores across much of Eurasia and in North Africa.
Its long, slender body, flat head and small ears meet little resistance in the water, so it can swim fast.
It eats fish, crayfish, frogs and more. Underwater, it uses its whiskers to sense the movements of fish and other prey.
How the Eurasian otter lives
They are most active at dusk and at night. They catch fish while swimming. Dens and resting places can be found among tree roots and in earth tunnels. Most live alone, though they sometimes form groups.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web上野動物園Basic data
- Size
- Head and body length: 57–70 cmShoulder height: about 30 cm
- Weight
- 4.1–16 kg
- Diet
- Fish, crayfish, frogs, and small mammals and birds near water
- Range
- Much of Eurasia south of the tundra and North Africa
Where the Eurasian otter has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ユーラシアカワウソ
- 简体中文
- 水獭
- 繁體中文
- 歐亞水獺
- 한국어
- 수달
- Español
- Nutria europea de río
- Français
- Loutre commune
- Deutsch
- Fischotter
- Português (Brasil)
- Lontra-europeia
- Italiano
- Lontra eurasiatica
- हिन्दी
- ऊदबिलाव
- العربية
- قضاعة أوراسية
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Berang-berang pantai
- Tiếng Việt
- Rái cá thường
- Русский
- Выдра
- Türkçe
- Susamuru
- বাংলা
- পাতি ভোঁদড়
- اردو
- اودبلاؤ
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — ユーラシアカワウソChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Lutra lutraChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Eurasian otter, look for this
- Look for the webbed hind feet paddling through water.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
上野動物園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Eurasian otter
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Mustelidae
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