Lutra lutra
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, European river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia and the Maghreb. It is the most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of the weasel family (Mustelidae) and is found in the waterways and on the coasts of Europe, much of Asia, and parts of North Africa. The Eurasian otter eats mainly fish, and is strongly territorial. It is endangered in some parts of its range, but is recovering in others.
The Eurasian otter is a typical member of the otter subfamily. With brown fur on their backs and cream-coloured fur on their bellies, these long, slender creatures are well-equipped for their aquatic lifestyle. Their bones show osteosclerosis, which increases their density and reduces buoyancy. This otter differs from the North American river otter by its shorter neck, broader visage, the greater space between the ears and its longer tail. However, the Eurasian otter is the only otter in much of its range, so it is rarely confused for any other animal. Normally, this species is 57 to 95 cm (22.5 to 37.5 in) long, not counting... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 4 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Otter sighting in Helsinki on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 15th most-seen of the 23 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and December–January
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Otter in Helsinki on a given day, against under 5% in April–June and August–September, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eurasian Otter sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Helsinki, in our data
Helsinki is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Eurasian Otter sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Mustelidae
The closest relatives of the Eurasian Otter that you can see in Helsinki (family Mustelidae, Mustelids) are Stoat (about 10%) and Least Weasel (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eurasian Otter is recorded against all the mammals logged in Helsinki (18 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
