On the occurrence of Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in Neeru stream of Chenab catchment, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This communication reports the first photographic record of Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra in a hill stream in Jammu & Kashmir, putting an end to doubts over its presence in the upper Chenab catchment. Three individuals were photographed during a limited camera trap survey conducted in Neeru stream, a left bank tributary of river Chenab during mid-October 2020. We argue that rapid human population influx, infrastructure expansion, and pollution have altered the hydro morphology of Neeru stream, affecting the otter population. This observation calls for more intensive otter surveys in the nearby smaller basins of Neeru, Kalnai, & Sewa and other large tributaries of Chenab River, combining occupancy surveys with camera traps for improved conservation and management of the species in the region.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT. This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership. Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.
References
Acharya, P.M., P. Lamsal, S.L. Rajbhandari, P. Shrestha, D. Neupane, M. Pathak, M. Niraula, H.M. Lama & B. Lama (2010). Status and distribution of otters in Narayani River, Chitwan National Park. A first phase research report submitted to Rufford Foundation, U.K. 52 pp.
Ahmad, Z., H. Chaudhry, H. Ali, R. Atiq-ur, S.R. Ahmad, U. Ashraf, N. Nisar & A. Tahir (2020). Suitable habitat evaluation of Eurasian Otter (Lutra Lutra) In Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Transylvanian Review 18: 4755–4766.
Anoop, K. & S. Hussain (2004). Factors affecting habitat selection by smooth-coated otters (Lutra perspicillata) in Kerala, India. Journal of Zoology 263(4): 417–423. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952836904005461
Balestrieri, A., S. Messina & F. Pella (2016). Eurasian otter Lutra lutra in developing countries: a resurvey of Albania 22 years after the fall of communism. Oryx 50: 368–373. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030 605314000921
Baltrūnaitė, L., L. Balčiauskas, R. Matulaitis & V. Stirkė (2009). Otter distribution in Lithuania in 2008 and changes in the last decade. Journal of Ecology 58: 94–102.
Basnet, A., B.S. Bist, P. Ghimire & P.M. Acharya (2019). Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra): Exploring evidence in Nepal. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin. 36(3): 29–37. https://www.iucnosgbull.org/Volume37/Basnet_et_al_2020.html
Bhattacharya, M., T. Watham & G.V. Gopi (2019). Photographic Records of Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra Linnaeus, 1758) from Nyamjang Chu River, Arunachal Pradesh, India. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin 36(2): 103–109.
Calzada, J., M. Clavero, M. Delibes & N. Fernández (2022). Human pressures constrain Eurasian otter occurrence in semiarid Northern Africa. Biodiversity and Conservation 31: 1519–1533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-022-02405w
Cianfrani, C., G. Le Lay, L. Maiorano, H.F. Satizabal, A. Loy & A. Guisan (2011). Adapting global conservation strategies to climate change at the European scale: the otter as a flagship species. Biological Conservation 144: 2068–2080
CITES (2023). Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Appendices I, II and III https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php
Clavero, M., J. Prenda & M. Delibes (2003). Trophic diversity of the otter (Lutra lutra L.) in temperate and Mediterranean freshwater habitats. Journal of Biogeography 30: 761–769. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2699.2003. 00865.x
Corbet, G.H. (1996). The Terrestrial Mammals of Western Europe. Foulis, London, 200 pp.
Crimmins, S., M. Roberts, D.A. Hamilton & A.R. Mynsberge (2009). Seasonal detection rates of river otters (Lontra canadensis) using bridge-site and random-site survey. Canadian Journal of Zoology 87: 993–999.
Gallant, D., L. Vasseur & C.H. Bérubé (2008). Evaluating bridge ability to detect river otter Lontra canadensis presence: a comparative study. Wildlife Biology 14: 61–69.
Gomez, L., B.T.C. Leupen, M. Theng, K. Fernandez & M. Savage (2016). Report on Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015)- Summary. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin 34(2): 104–114.
Gupta, N., M. Everard, V. Tiwari, M.A. Chadwick, A. Nawab & S.A. Hussain (2020). The potential role of social media in support of otter conservation in the Indian Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. OTTER, Journal of the International Otter Survival Fund 6(1&2): 40–48.
Hussain, S.A. (1993). Aspects of the ecology of smooth-coated Indian Otter Lutra perspicillata in National Chambal Sanctuary. Ph.D. Thesis, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 206 pp.
Hussain, S.A. (1999). Status of otter conservation in India. Environmental Information System Network Bulletin on Wildlife and protected Areas. Wildlife Institute of India 2(2): 92–97.
Hussain, S.A. (2013). Otters, pp. 392–415. In: Johnsingh, A.J.T. & N. Manjrekar (eds.). Mammals of South Asia, Volume 1. Universities Press, India, 694 pp.
Hussain, S.A. & B.C Choudhury (1997). Distribution and status of the Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) in National Chambal Sanctuary, India. Biological Conservation 80(2): 199–206.
Jamwal, PS., J. Takpa, P. Chandan & M. Savage (2016). First Systematic Survey for Otter (Lutra lutra) in Ladakh, Indian Trans Himalayas. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin 33(1): 79–85.
Jena, J., D. Bhargava, J. Borah & S. Dey (2016). On the occurrence of the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra L.) in the forest of Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, India. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin 33: 59–63.
Jenkins, D & G.O. Burrows (1980). Ecology of otters in northern Scotland. III. The use of faeces as indicators of otter (Lutra lutra) density and distribution. Journal of Animal Ecology 49(3): 755–774.
Jha, R.R., T. Silwal & G.M. Yoxon (2020). Status of otters in Nepal: a link with ancient waterways and people, pp. 409–418. In: Regmi, G. & F. Huettmann (eds.). Hindu Kush-Himalaya Watersheds Downhill: Landscape Ecology and Conservation Perspectives. Springer, Cham.
Joshi, A.S., V.M. Tumsare, A.K. Nagar, A.K. Mishra & M.P. Pariwakam (2016). Photographic Records of Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra from the Central Indian Landscape. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin 33(2): 73–78.
Krawczyk, A.J., M. Bogdziewicz, K. Majkowska & A. Glazaczow (2016). Diet composition of the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra in different freshwater habitats of temperate Europe: a review and meta-analysis. Mammalian Review 46: 106–113. https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12054
Kruuk, H. (1995). Wild Otters: Predation and Populations. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 290 pp.
Kruuk, H., B. Kanchanasaka, S. O’Sullivan & S. Wanghongsa (1994). Niche separation in three sympatric otters Lutra perspicillata, L. lutra and Aonyx cinerea in Huai Kha Khaeng, Thailand. Biological Conservation 69: 115–120.
Kumar, R., A. Raina & N. Sharma (2019). Dataset on water quality characteristics of hill stream in Bhaderwah, Jammu and Kashmir. Data in brief 26: 2352–3409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2019.104462
Kumar, R., V. Dutt., A. Raina & N. Sharma (2022). Spatial water quality assessment of a mountain stream in north-western India using multivariate statistical techniques. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 194: 785. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10386-0
Lesmeister, B.D. & C.K. Nielsen (2011). Protocol for Large-Scale Monitoring of Riparian Mammals. Wildlife Biology in Practice 7(2): 55-70.
Loy, A., A. Balestrieri, R. Bartolomei, L. Bonesi, M. Caldarella, G. De Castro, L. Della Salda, E. Fulco, R. Fusillo, P. Gariano, F. Imperi, F. Iordan, L. Lapini, L. Lerone, M. Marcelli, M. Marrese, M. Pavanello, C. Prigioni & D. Righetti (2015). The Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) in Italy: distribution, trend and threats. Proceedings of European Otter Workshop 32C: 9–10.
Loy, A., A. Kranz, A. Oleynikov, A. Roos, M. Savage & N. Duplaix (2022). Lutra lutra (amended version of 2021 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T12419A218069689. Accessed on 10 February 2023. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T12419A218069689.en
Loy A., L. Boitani, L. Bonesi, A. Canu, A. Di Croce, P.L. Fiorentino, P. Genovesi, L. Mattei, M. Panzacchi, C. Prigioni, E. Randi & G. Reggiani (2010). The Italian action plan for the endangered Eurasian otter Lutra lutra. Hystrix. 21: 19–33. https://doi.org/10.4404/hystrix-21.1-4483
Loy A., M.L. Carranza, C. Cianfrani, E. D’Alessandro, L. Bonesi, P. Di Marzio, M. Minotti & G. Reggiani (2009). Otter Lutra lutra population expansion: assessing habitat suitability and connectivity in southern Italy. Folia Zoologica-Praha 58: 309–326.
Macdonald, S.M. & C.F. Mason (1983). Some factors influencing the distribution of otters Lutra lutra. Mammal Review 13: 1–10.
Macdonald, S.M. & C.F Mason (1994). Status and Conservation Needs of the Otter (Lutra lutra) in the Western Palaearctic, Nature and environment series 67(18). Council of Europe.
Mason, C.F. & S.M. Macdonald (1986). Otters. Ecology and Conservation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 248 pp.
Menon, V. (2014). Indian Mammals: A Field Guide. Hachete India, Gurgaon, 528 pp.
Nawab, A. (2007). Ecology of Otters in Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand; India. PhD Thesis, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India.
Nawab, A. (2009). Aspects of the ecology of Smooth–coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1826: A Review. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 106(1): 5–10.
Nawab, A. & P. Gautam (2008). Living on the edge: Otters in developing India. In: Wetlands–The Heart of Asia. Procedings of the Asian Wetland Symposium 106(1): 14.
Pal, R., A. Sharma, V.K. Dubey, T. Bhattacharya, J.A. Johnson, K. Sivakumar & S. Sathyakumar (2021). A rare photographic record of Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra with a note on its habitat from the Bhagirathi Basin, western Himalaya, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 13(13): 20072–20077. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6937.13.13. 20072-20077
Palei, N.C., H.S. Palei, S. Rath, B.P. Rath & A.K. Mishra (2022). Photographic record of Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758) in Odisha, India. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin 39(2): 102–109.
Prakash, N. (2022). Let the River Run: Smooth‑coated Otters on the Cauvery. Downloaded on 23 May 2022. https://roundglasssustain.com/photo-stories/smooth-coated-otter
Prater, S.H. (1971). The book of Indian animals Eleventh impression, Bombay Natural History Society. Oxford University Press, Calcutta.
Prater, S.H. (1998). The Book of Indian Animals. Eleventh impression. Bombay Natural History Society. Oxford University Press, Calcutta, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai.
Raha, A. & S.A Hussain (2016). Factors affecting habitat selection by three sympatric otter species in the southern Western Ghats, India. Acta Ecologica Sinica 36: 45–49.
Reid, N., D. Thompson, B. Hayden, F. Marnell & I. Montgomery (2013). Review and metanalysis of diet suggest the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) is likely to be a poor bioindicator. Ecological indicators 26: 5–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2012.10.017
Romanowski, J., M. Brzezinski & M. Zmihorski (2013). Habitat correlates of the Eurasian Otter recolonizing central Poland. Acta Theriologica 58: 149–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-012-0107-8
Roos, A., A. Loy, P. De Silva, P. Hajkova & B. Zemanová (2015). Lutra. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T12419A21935287.en
Schooley, R., L.A. Cotner, A.A. Ahlers, E.J. Heske & J.M. Levengood (2012). Monitoring site occupancy for American mink in its native range. Journal of Wildlife Management 76: 824–831.
Shawl, T., J. Takpa., T. Phuntsog & Y. Panchaksharam (2008). Field Guide: Mammals of Ladakh. New Delhi: WWF-India, 108 pp.
Shrestha, M.B., G. Shrestha, S. Reule, S. Oli, T.B. Ghartimagar, G. Singh, D.M. Tripathi, C.J. Law, K.B. Shah & M. Savage (2021). First Evidence of Eurasian Otter in Nepal in Three Decades International Union for Conservation of Nature Otter Specialist Group Bulletin 38 (5): 279–291.
Waku, D., T. Segawa, T. Yonezawa, A. Akiyoshi, T. Ishige & Ueda (2016). Evaluating the Phylogenetic Status of the Extinct Japanese Otter on the Basis of Mitochondrial Genome Analysis. PLoS ONE 11(3): e0149341. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.014934
Yoxon, P. & B. Yoxon (2019). Eurasian Oter (Lutra lutra): A review of the current world status. Otter. Journal of the International Otter Survival Fund 5: 5–37.