Abstract
In times of massive biodiversity loss and ongoing environmental crises, it is extremely important to ensure long-term conservation efforts of threatened species like Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra). To gain insights into the status of Northern Germany's otter population, 92 otters found dead in Schleswig-Holstein between 2015-2020 were collected and underwent detailed dissection with the aim to establish a monitoring program for this population. Examinations followed a protocol especially designed for otters, including various biological data assessments and extended sampling. The finding sites showed a clear concentration in the Continental region. Seasonal concentration differed among the years, yet peaks were seen from fall to winter. Overall, more males than females were found, although this differed among the years. The majority of otters that could be aged were between 1-3 years. Placental scars and pregnancy were recorded in only few females. Nutritional status was good in most cases. Infectious diseases found included Vagococcus lutrae, Toxoplasma gondii, and Emmonsia spp. A major cause of death was roadkill. Known sample bias in studies focusing on roadkill was considered in the finding interpretation. Continuation of the population health investigations is mandatory to analyze potential trends and to establish an actual monitoring program for Eurasian otters in Schleswig-Holstein.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 59 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | Animals |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2022 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Acknowledgments: We would like to thank the Ministry of Energy Transition, Agriculture, Environment, Nature, and Digitalization (MELUND) for funding the project. In particular, we wish to thank Inga Grotha and Nelia Libowski (Institute of Virology) for excellent technical assistance, as well as Arne Drews (LLUR) for his continuous support, especially in tracking all otters found dead and organizing the network. We would also like to thank the hard-working staff at ITAW and their support during the necropsies and cementum aging. Additionally, we wish to thank Abbo van Neer for his help on designing the map. Finally, special thanks go to all the people who reported dead otters-without them, our work would not be possible. This publication was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation within the funding program Open Access Publishing.
Funding Information:
Funding: The study was funded by the Ministry for Energy Transition, Agriculture, Environment, Nature, and Digitalisation of Schleswig-Holstein (MELUND).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.