Site-specific and seasonal variation in habitat use of Eurasian otters ( Lutralutra) in western China: implications for conservation.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	Wang, Qiao-Yun Zheng, Kai-Dan Han, Xue-Song He, Fang Zhao, Xiang Fan, Peng-Fei Zhang, Lu
Copyright Year	2021
Abstract	As a top predator, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is an indicator of healthy freshwater ecosystems and a flagship species for conservation. Once widespread in China, the species is now distributed mainly in the upper reaches of the great rivers of western China. However, a lack of knowledge on local otter populations continues to hinder their conservation in China. Here, we conducted a detailed study on habitat use of Eurasian otters in Yushu City and Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve in western China using transect surveys. At both study sites, otters preferred to defecate on large rocks close to or protruding from the river and about 50 cm above the waterline. In Yushu, no spraints were found along the 5 km river bank section in the downtown area, with otters preferring sprainting sites with natural banks, riparian zones, and lower human population density. However, this pattern was not obvious at Tangjiahe, where river transformation and human disturbance are minor. Otter river use intensity was negatively correlated with elevation and human population density in Yushu in both seasons. In Tangjiahe, otter river use intensity was positively correlated with prey mass and flow rate and negatively correlated with human population in spring, but positively correlated with human population and negatively correlated with flow rate in autumn. These results reflect the flexible habitat use strategies of otters at different sites, underlining the necessity to study otters living in different regions and habitat types. We provide suggestions for river modification and call for more site-specific studies to promote otter conservation in China.
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ISSN	20958137
Journal	Zoological Research [Zool Res]
Volume Number	42
DOI	10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.238
PubMed Central reference number	PMC8645887
Issue Number	6
PubMed reference number	34755501
Language	English
Publisher	Science Press
Publisher Date	2021-11-01
Publisher Place	16 Donghuangchenggen Beijie, Beijing 100717, China
Access Restriction	Open
Rights License	This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Editorial Office of Zoological Research, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Subject Keyword	Lutra lutra Sprainting site Habitat selection Conservation Local scale
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Ecology Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Nature and Landscape Conservation