The otter Lutra lutra in Albania

Prigioni, Claudio; Bogliani, Giuseppe; Barbieri, Francesco

doi:10.1016/0006-3207(86)90011-x

Cited by 13 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Most studies about otter diet in Mediterranean areas have been conducted in the Iberian peninsula (see Clavero et al 2003), while information from other areas of southern Europe is still fragmentary (Prigioni et al 1986;Arca`and Prigioni 1987;Prigioni et al 1991;Prigioni 1997;Prigioni et al 2006a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Trophic flexibility of the otter (Lutra lutra) in southern Italy

et al. 2008

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Diet composition of otters (Lutra lutra) was investigated in 2001 by spraints analysis (N ¼ 1323) on five rivers of southern Italy, with the aim of assessing the influence of fish availability, elevation and discharge on the consumption of food resources alternative to fish. Data were expressed as per cent frequency of occurrence (%FO) and per cent volume (%V). The study confirmed the great feeding adaptability of the otter that, in rivers partially interconnected and flowing on a small area, showed a strong fish eating habit in some rivers (Sinni and Mercure-Lao) and a diet mainly constituted by alternative resources in other ones (amphibians in the rivers Cogliandrino and Frido, crustaceans in the River Battendiero). Fish consumption for the five rivers was significantly correlated with fish biomass and with mean summer discharge, while it was inversely correlated with the mean altitude of the five rivers. The lack of a clear seasonality in the consumption of food sources alternative to fish together with the correlation between fish use and fish biomass for each river indicated fish availability as the main factor affecting otter relying to non-fish preys. Otter diet seemed influenced by the characteristics of river habitats (altitude, discharge and consequently fish biomass) more than by summer drought, typical of Mediterranean regions. The %FO and the %V allowed to drawn a similar picture of otter diet. Nonetheless the %V was useful for better illustrating diet variation among the different rivers and we argue that it could be useful in habitats where the otter feeds on preys with different proportions of indigestible remains.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Trophic flexibility of the otter (Lutra lutra) in southern Italy

et al. 2008

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“…By increasing search distance, more sites with otter occurrence will be detected but as explained above, the level of increase in detection rates brought by extended searches will depend on where the bridges are located in relation to habitat characteristics that otters use and this will vary from one region to another. Even with some locations with otters going undetected, bridge surveys may still be able to reflect temporal trends Lutra lutra 600 Portugal Macdonald 1983 Lutra lutra 600 Britain and Ireland Macdonald & Mason 1983b Lutra lutra 600 Tunisia Macdonald & Mason 1983a Lutra lutra 600 Italy Liles & Jenkins 1984 Lutra lutra 600 Yugoslavia Prigioni et al 1986 Lutra lutra 600-1000 Albania Clark et al 1987 Lontra canadensis 100 United-States (Georgia) Lodé 1993 Lutra lutra 400 France Brzeziński et al 1996 Lutra lutra 600-1000 Poland Shackelford & Whitaker 1997 Lontra canadensis 500 United-States (Oklahoma) Reuther & Roy 2001 Lutra lutra 600 Germany Elmeros & Bussenius 2002 Lutra lutra 300 Denmark Bischof 2003 Lontra canadensis not specified United-States (Nebraska) Georgiev 2005 Lutra lutra < 600 Bulgaria in river otter occurrence in the landscape, if detection rates remain stable from one survey to the next. We did not study this aspect of the performance of bridge surveys or other types of sign surveys, as it would require a long-term study to evaluate the temporal stability of detection rates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, caution is advised if survey results are interpreted in the form of presence-absence data, as is often the case (e.g. Prigioni et al 1986, Lodé 1993, Lee 1996, Shackelford & Whitaker 1997. Temporal fluctuations in the number of positive searches over time may not accurately reflect trends in true population size when activity signs of the surveyed species play a role in intra-specific communication and exist in a clumped distribution in the landscape (Gallant et al 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluating bridge survey ability to detect river otter Lontra canadensis presence: a comparative study

2008

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Many researchers use bridges as search sites to monitor freshwater otter species along watercourses. Bridges enable rapid and easy access to their habitat, but for most otter species little is known on whether these anthropogenic structures affect their distribution, their marking preferences, and consequently, the ability of such surveys to detect their presence. We investigated the bridge survey method using data gathered during four winters of survey along the rivers and streams of Kouchibouguac National Park and surrounding area in New Brunswick, Canada. Our results show that sign surveys using bridges as search sites can have the same capability to detect river otter Lontra canadensis occurrences as surveys using randomly distributed sites. Future surveys can be improved by increasing search distance at bridge sites. This will increase detection rates and safeguard against results underrepresenting otter occurrence in the landscape, which could prompt unnecessary conservation actions. Researchers choosing to increase search distance are advised to augment survey efforts in order to maintain large sample sizes, ensuring sufficient statistical power for tests aiming to detect trends in river otter occurrence.

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“…They then use the distribution and proportion of sites with otter detection to show population distribution and relative population abundance over the geographical area of interest. This type of survey protocol based on presence-absence data became popular and researchers have used it in almost every country of Europe and northern Africa to survey the Eurasian otter (e.g., Mason 1983a, 1984;Prigioni et al 1986;Lodé 1993). Subsequently, researchers also used it on other continents hosting freshwater otter species (e.g., Chehébar 1985, Lee 1996, Shackelford and Whitaker 1997.…”

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Unveiling the Limitations of Scat Surveys to Monitor Social Species: A Case Study on River Otters

2007

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We examined the relationship between the production of sites with feces (i.e., latrines) and river otter (Lontra canadensis) abundance to determine whether scat surveys were adequate for monitoring relative population size for species leaving activity signs in a clumped distribution on the landscape. We conducted winter riparian transects to simultaneously monitor otter abundance via snow tracks and latrine sites along the rivers of Kouchibouguac National Park and surrounding area in New Brunswick, Canada. Our data showed that latrine abundance poorly reflected otter abundance for given stretches of rivers because the relationship was nonlinear and reached a plateau. The number of latrine sites was not related to the time period since last snowfall, which indicated that otters repetitively defecated at the same sites. Individual otters and groups did not produce activity signs over larger distances as a function of time, which indicated that they tend to stay in their home ranges in winter. We discuss why scat survey protocols based on determining presence—absence of a species at predetermined search sites may poorly reflect population size, as well as population fluctuations in time. Caution is advised when interpreting data from such surveys for species for which feces or other activity signs surveyed play a role in intraspecific communication and tend to be in a clumped distribution on the landscape.

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The otter Lutra lutra in Albania

Cited by 13 publications

References 8 publications

Trophic flexibility of the otter (Lutra lutra) in southern Italy

Trophic flexibility of the otter (Lutra lutra) in southern Italy

Evaluating bridge survey ability to detect river otter Lontra canadensis presence: a comparative study

Unveiling the Limitations of Scat Surveys to Monitor Social Species: A Case Study on River Otters

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