Otter domestic: conditions of detention

Meat of the otter has long been recognized as a standard of durability. Clothing made from it significantly outperforms other popular furs in terms of weariness: very insignificant - bearish, twice - wolf, four times ermine and squirrels, five times fox, six times chinchilla. Well and in comparison with rabbit fur this indicator is increased 20 times.

Scientists are sure that breeding these animals in industrial quantities is only a matter of time. At the Research Institute of fur farming and hunting, very successful experiments are conducted on the breeding of these animals, which confirm that the otter perfectly takes root in the enclosures. Babies born in captivity are absolutely not afraid of people, willingly allow themselves to pat and scratch behind the ear.

Otter is a very graceful animal, having a flexible body of a streamlined shape. The legs are short, with pronounced membranes between the toes. The tail is wide at the base, long, strong. The closest relatives of these predators are sea otters. Although otters are widespread in the world, their number is so rapidly decreasing that these animals were brought into the Red Book.

External Features

The length of the body of an adult animal ranges from 55 to 95 centimeters (including the tail - from 25 to 45 cm). Females are somewhat smaller than males. The weight of the otter is 6-10 kg. These animals have perfectly mastered a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Their thick fur does not get wet due to dense downy hair.

The abdomen of the animal is light-silver in color, and the head, back and outer part of the paws are dark brown. The otter (except for the unconscionable) is practically devoid of the fat layer, and therefore fur is their only salvation from hypothermia. Ears and eyes have special valves that protect them from water ingress. Zverek submerges under water for 3-4 minutes and overcomes this time 300 meters.

Otters are very clean animals - they equip themselves with a toilet at a decent distance from the burrow and water (ashore). This is often used by hunters, installing traps near the toilet of the animals. Interestingly, the otters communicate among themselves using sound signals, among which the researchers distinguished 12 different sounds.

These predators have good hearing, excellent sense of smell and vision, both on land and under water. Normal body temperature is 37 degrees. It is interesting that the otter pulse can vary depending on where the animal is located. Underwater, it slows to 60 beats per minute, which allows the animal to save oxygen, and on land it can reach 300 beats. Under natural conditions, the otter lives 10 years, in captivity - up to 15 years.

Habitat

In nature, the otter is widely distributed - this is all of Eurasia (except for the Arabian Peninsula, the polar regions and North Africa). This predator from the family of Cunha prefers to settle on the shores of lakes, forest rivers, picking up rich with crayfish, fish, and also small rodents, the terrain.

In winter otters live near the polynyas or in the unfrozen rapids. Their dwellings are built on the plants overgrown with coastal plants, washed up with water or littered with old snags shores. The entrance to the mink is usually hidden under water. The animal will never go ashore beside it - it will necessarily sail away from it for at least a few meters.

The course leads to a living chamber, which is not flooded with spring waters. Its bottom is lined with dry foliage and grass. From this main room to the surface there are ventilation passages, rather narrow, so that the enemy can not use them. Often, the otters build an emergency exit leading to the dry shore. If the terrain is characterized by a good fodder base, the otter is sufficient for a coastline of no more than six kilometers and a width of about one hundred meters. When the food is not enough or the river freezes completely, the otter goes to search for a better place, overcoming 20 km a day.

The basis of the otter diet is fish, and quite small. So the animal replenishes the needs of the body in mineral substances and vitamins due to the green mass, which is in the intestines of the fish and usually is about 13% of its mass. When the domestic otter receives large or gutted fish as a feed, it can feel bad, become sluggish and inactive.

Lifestyle

Otter is a predator who hunts fish while in ambush. She sits, hiding on a stone or snag, and suddenly pounces on a passing fish. In the autumn, when the young grows up, the otters arrange a real hunted hunting, directing the fish to shallow water and there destroying it collectively. Even males take part in these events, which usually are outside the family during the daytime.

The common otter usually leads a rather secretive way of life. She goes out into the dusk to hunt. Only in places where no one disturbs her, she can be active in the daytime.

How to keep the otter at home?

Today, many animal lovers do not want to be content with the content of dogs, cats, fish or hamsters. Many experiment (and sometimes quite unsuccessfully) with fairly rare animals. So that as a result of such experiments, both the animal and the owner were satisfied, it is necessary to learn more about the future pet, to consult with veterinarians, to find out if the contents of this or that animal can be kept in captivity.

Otter in the apartment

For example, an otter as a pet is not at all adapted to living in an apartment. At it liquid, plentiful and having a sharp smell of a droppings. True, the owners claim that the domestic otter easily gets used to cope with its needs in a box filled with sand, but this does not solve the problem of a sharp and very persistent smell.

Otters in the apartment: building a pet house

The best option for those wishing to keep an otter is a country house with a spacious enclosure in the yard. In addition, do not forget that the otter is a semi-aquatic animal, which needs a swimming pool, and the latter is much easier to arrange in the aviary.

It is believed that the optimal size of the enclosure for the otter is 8 x 16 meters. The walls and the floor are made of metal mesh, which is commonly used in fur farming. At the junction of the walls, the grid is reinforced with corners of metal. The lower mesh is covered approximately 15 cm with gravel and a layer of river sand.

Pool and burrow

The otter content at home is impossible without a basin depth meter, a length of two meters and a meter wide. Naturally, we give the minimum dimensions. The ratio of land and water is 2: 1. Near the pool you need to put a box filled with a good absorbent material (dry sand, sawdust of deciduous trees, peat). In this box, the domestic otters dry their fur. The size of the container should be larger than the size of the lying animal.

In addition to the pool, the otter at home needs an artificial burrow. Experts believe that the best design should consist of two chambers. As a rule, it is a move, a chamber-vestibule and a narrow, sponge-covered passage to a living chamber. Sponge along with the minimum stroke size allows the animal to wring out excess moisture from the fur. Residential chamber should be at least 50 x 40 x 30 cm, which makes it possible to comfortably accommodate the female with puppies. The size of the chamber-hallway can be somewhat more modest, about 30 cm long.

The roof of the socket must be lifted to make it easier to clean. At the same time, it should be rather heavy, so that the otter can not move it from its place. These are fairly clean animals, so cleaning the nest is reduced to a change of raw hay, which lined the floor of the nest, on dry. To keep the heat of the house, the walls are usually built double and covered with sawdust.

Feeding

Today for such an unusual pet is not difficult to find the right food. Otter home with pleasure eats ready ration for mink pasty consistency. You can choose a feed consisting of 50-80% of small fish and supplemented with butter, milk, bird meat, mice, eggs.

In addition, the otters need to give each day multivitamins and calcium with phosphorus (calcium gluconate, chalk). The daily norm of feed for an adult animal is 0.8-1 kg.