A semiaquatic mammal with dark-brown fur, a broad and fairly flat head, a thick tail, and webbed feet. It is well adapted to swimming and is resident in Georgia.
Listen to the voice
Photo: Erik Christensen
Tomasz Baranowski · Lelystad
Key facts in one look
Size
59–90 cm0150 cm
Diet
Fish / amphibians
Status in Georgia
Year-round
Habitat
River / lake
Family
Mustelidae
Conservation
NT / VULCNTVUENCR
Overview
Eurasian otter in Georgia
The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is a mammal in the weasel family (Mustelidae) and a resident native species in Georgia. IUCN treats Georgia as part of its natural range.
It is not venomous. The main human risk is a bite, mainly if the animal is caught or picked up.
Globally, IUCN assesses the Eurasian otter as Near Threatened (NT). On Georgia’s 2014 Red List it has Vulnerable (VU) status.
At species level, body length without the tail is about 59–90 cm, and the tail is about 35–47 cm long.
Identification
How to identify Eurasian otter
A semiaquatic mammal with dark-brown fur, a broad and fairly flat head, a thick tail, and webbed feet. It is well adapted to swimming and is resident in Georgia.
Males are usually larger than females. At species level, male head–body length is about 60–90 cm, while females are 59–70 cm. The tail reaches about 35–47 cm. Males weigh about 5.5–11.4 kg, and females 3.4–7.6 kg.
The head is broad and flat, the whiskers long, and the ears small and rounded. The legs are short and the feet are webbed. The tail is thick at the base and gradually narrows toward the tip.
2
The fur is very dense and protects it well from water. The back is dark brown and may look almost black when wet. The underside is paler, and the throat sometimes has a light patch.
When swimming, often only the head and part of the back are visible.
3
No other otter species occurs in Georgia. Neogale vison (older name Mustela vison) is the American mink, not an otter. It appears in an older list of South Caucasian mustelids, but this atlas has no separate profile for it and does not map a confirmed Georgian range.
The Eurasian otter is much larger and has a thick tail that narrows from the base toward the tip. The least weasel is much smaller and terrestrial, with a head–body length of about 13–26 cm. The Caucasian badger is heavier, has a black-and-white striped head, and is not adapted to water like an otter.
A swimming dog may be confusing at a distance. The otter’s low profile and thick tail, broad at the base and narrowing toward the end, are especially useful clues.
4
Otter presence is often seen from its signs before the animal itself. Five-toed, webbed tracks may remain in bank mud; spraint, sometimes with fish-scale remains, may be left on rocks; and slides may be visible on the bank.
It is not venomous. Do not approach or pick up a wild otter.
Distribution
Where Eurasian otter is recorded in Georgia
In Georgia the otter occurs along rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and fish ponds, especially where there is food and cover.
In a 2012–2013 national survey, otter signs were recorded at 245 of 631 surveyed sites, or about 39%. Most positive signs came from freshwater habitats. The detection rate was highest at lakes and reservoirs, at about 75%; it was 36% on river and other freshwater sites, and about 18% among 11 sea-coast sites. Signs became rarer with increasing altitude.
Georgian and South Caucasian sources indicate the otter in Georgia to about 2,800 m, although that limit is not a separately measured belt for this page. Globally, IUCN lists the species to about 4,120 m above sea level.
Specific Georgian records are known from the Alazani basin, the Bakhvistskali valley, Borjomi Gorge, and the Kintrishi. In the 2022 Bakhvistskali study, 55 activity points were recorded, mostly as tracks; that information comes from a hydropower environmental study, not a peer-reviewed scientific paper.
For Lagodekhi, the sources do not fully agree: one baseline survey found no otter signs, while a later South Caucasus map added a recent observation. The same earlier survey also found no signs in Vashlovani and Borjomi-Kharagauli.
The otter is widespread in Georgia, but that does not mean it occurs at the same density across the whole country.Read moreShow less
In Georgia the otter occurs along rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and fish ponds, especially where there is food and cover.
In a 2012–2013 national survey, otter signs were recorded at 245 of 631 surveyed sites, or about 39%. Most positive signs came from freshwater habitats. The detection rate was highest at lakes and reservoirs, at about 75%; it was 36% on river and other freshwater sites, and about 18% among 11 sea-coast sites. Signs became rarer with increasing altitude.
Georgian and South Caucasian sources indicate the otter in Georgia to about 2,800 m, although that limit is not a separately measured belt for this page. Globally, IUCN lists the species to about 4,120 m above sea level.
Specific Georgian records are known from the Alazani basin, the Bakhvistskali valley, Borjomi Gorge, and the Kintrishi. In the 2022 Bakhvistskali study, 55 activity points were recorded, mostly as tracks; that information comes from a hydropower environmental study, not a peer-reviewed scientific paper.
For Lagodekhi, the sources do not fully agree: one baseline survey found no otter signs, while a later South Caucasus map added a recent observation. The same earlier survey also found no signs in Vashlovani and Borjomi-Kharagauli.
The otter is widespread in Georgia, but that does not mean it occurs at the same density across the whole country.
The Eurasian otter map combines source-derived field localities curated by Reptiles.ge with public iNaturalist observations. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates confirmed distribution from recorded-only regions.
In a 2006–2007 study on a section of the Alazani, 791 otter spraints were analysed. In the cold season, from November to March, fish were the most frequent food item at about 50%, while amphibians were 30%. In the warm season, from April to October, the pattern changed: amphibians made up about 36% and fish 24%.
Reptiles were recorded in about 12–13% in both seasons. These were non-venomous water snakes: grass snake (Natrix natrix) and dice snake (Natrix tessellata). Among amphibians, marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) was the main item.
Among fish, crucian carp and common carp were especially frequent; most prey items were under 20 cm. Rodents, including mice and muskrat, were recorded in small numbers, as were birds, insects, molluscs, and crustaceans.
In freshwater, the otter is often more active at dusk and at night, although it can also appear by day, especially in quiet places with little human disturbance. It does not hibernate in winter and remains active year-round.
Its shelter is often called a holt. It may be placed among bank roots, in a rock crevice, in a natural cavity, or in a tunnel the animal has dug; sometimes the entrance is underwater.
Otters often mark territory with spraint, or droppings. They leave it on rocks, logs, bridges, and other conspicuous places. Spraint often contains fish scales and bone remains. Tracks are five-toed, with webbing between the toes. In the 2022 Bakhvistskali study, otter presence was recorded mostly through tracks.
At species level, gestation lasts about 61–74 days. Litters are usually 2–3 young, although the number may vary from 1 to 5. The female raises the young alone.
In the 2022 IUCN assessment, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is considered globally Near Threatened (NT), with a decreasing population trend. The previous 2015 global assessment used the same category.
On Georgia’s 2014 Red List, the otter is listed as Vulnerable (VU). The assessment identifies range decline as one of the main problems. The species is also on CITES Appendix I, and hunting it in Georgia is prohibited.
Older Georgian sources described the otter’s condition in more severe terms, but later national surveys relate those assessments to outdated data. One secondary summary estimates Georgia’s population at more than 300 individuals, although that is not the result of an independent modern national census. The South Caucasus biodiversity map also gives VU status for Georgia and describes the population as small.
The main threats to the otter are loss of riparian forest and other bank habitats, water pollution, reduced fish stocks, poaching, and conflict with fish farms. Studies have also recorded trap use near fish ponds. Hydropower construction and river-bed works may also damage its habitat.
In 2019, media reported an otter killed in Tbilisi on the bank of the Mtkvari, but that is a news report, not a field population study.
Do not approach or pick up a wild otter.
Diet
In a 2006–2007 study on a section of the Alazani, 791 otter spraints were analysed. In the cold season, from November to March, fish were the most frequent food item at about 50%, while amphibians were 30%. In the warm season, from April to October, the pattern changed: amphibians made up about 36% and fish 24%.
Reptiles were recorded in about 12–13% in both seasons. These were non-venomous water snakes: grass snake (Natrix natrix) and dice snake (Natrix tessellata). Among amphibians, marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) was the main item.
Among fish, crucian carp and common carp were especially frequent; most prey items were under 20 cm. Rodents, including mice and muskrat, were recorded in small numbers, as were birds, insects, molluscs, and crustaceans.
Behavior
In freshwater, the otter is often more active at dusk and at night, although it can also appear by day, especially in quiet places with little human disturbance. It does not hibernate in winter and remains active year-round.
Its shelter is often called a holt. It may be placed among bank roots, in a rock crevice, in a natural cavity, or in a tunnel the animal has dug; sometimes the entrance is underwater.
Otters often mark territory with spraint, or droppings. They leave it on rocks, logs, bridges, and other conspicuous places. Spraint often contains fish scales and bone remains. Tracks are five-toed, with webbing between the toes. In the 2022 Bakhvistskali study, otter presence was recorded mostly through tracks.
At species level, gestation lasts about 61–74 days. Litters are usually 2–3 young, although the number may vary from 1 to 5. The female raises the young alone.
Conservation
In the 2022 IUCN assessment, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is considered globally Near Threatened (NT), with a decreasing population trend. The previous 2015 global assessment used the same category.
On Georgia’s 2014 Red List, the otter is listed as Vulnerable (VU). The assessment identifies range decline as one of the main problems. The species is also on CITES Appendix I, and hunting it in Georgia is prohibited.
Older Georgian sources described the otter’s condition in more severe terms, but later national surveys relate those assessments to outdated data. One secondary summary estimates Georgia’s population at more than 300 individuals, although that is not the result of an independent modern national census. The South Caucasus biodiversity map also gives VU status for Georgia and describes the population as small.
The main threats to the otter are loss of riparian forest and other bank habitats, water pollution, reduced fish stocks, poaching, and conflict with fish farms. Studies have also recorded trap use near fish ponds. Hydropower construction and river-bed works may also damage its habitat.
In 2019, media reported an otter killed in Tbilisi on the bank of the Mtkvari, but that is a news report, not a field population study.
Do not approach or pick up a wild otter.
Short answers to the most important questions about Eurasian otter.
Yes. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is a native resident species in Georgia. IUCN lists Georgia in its natural range. The species is included in Georgia’s national mammal lists and on the 2014 Red List.
In Georgia, otters occur along rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and fish ponds. In a 2012–2013 national survey, signs were recorded at about 39% of 631 surveyed sites.
Confirmed records are known from the Alazani, the Bakhvistskali in Ozurgeti Municipality, Borjomi Gorge, and the Kintrishi. For Lagodekhi, different sources do not fully agree.
It has a long, dark-brown body, a broad and flat head, a thick tapering tail, and webbed feet.
Its presence can often be identified from signs: five-toed tracks may remain in bank mud, and droppings with fish scales and bone remains may be left on rocks and other conspicuous places.
At species level, head–body length is about 59–90 cm and the tail 35–47 cm. Weight is often around 3–12 kg.
On the Alazani section, the otter feeds mainly on fish and frogs; water snakes are also recorded in the diet. Its diet may differ in other rivers and habitats.
In freshwater, the otter is often most active at dusk and at night, although it can also appear by day. It is resident in Georgia and does not migrate seasonally. It does not hibernate in winter and remains active year-round.
Yes. Otters make various sounds. This page includes an audio recording.
It is not venomous. If caught or picked up, it can bite. Do not approach or pick up a wild otter.
Yes. Globally, the Eurasian otter is assessed as Near Threatened (NT). On Georgia’s 2014 Red List it has Vulnerable (VU) status. The species is on CITES Appendix I, and hunting it in Georgia is prohibited.
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
