Otters: Ecology and Conservation

ThisbookfocusesontheEuropeanotter,describingitslifehistory,includingfreshinformationandprovidingdetailsofsurveymethodsandthestateofpopulationsthroughouttherange.Ottershavedecreasedsubstantiallyinnumbersandrangeduringthepresentcenturythroughacombinationofpollution,habitatdestructionanddirectpersecution.Theotter,atthetopofthefoodchain,isavulnerableanimalinavulnerableenvironment-theriver-andcanbeseenasanindicatorofahealthyenvironment;agoodotterpopulationindicatesaproperlyfunctioningriverecosystem.Theresearchoftheauthorshighlightsthefactthatsuccessfulconservationofthisfamiliarthoughelusiveanimaldependsuponpubliceducationandsympathyasmuchasupondetailedecologicalknowledge.Thisaccountwillappealtoamateurnaturalists,teachersofnaturalhistoryandbiologicalsciencesandstudentsofanimalecologyandconservation.Italsoprovidesanimportantreferenceforprofessionalconservationistsandwildlifebiologists.