Keeping the coat clean

Otter

The Otter is becoming very common in the Koillismaa area. You don't often see the animal itself, but you can find plenty of tracks from riversides. Sometimes you might find otter tracks even quite far from rivers or lakes. They can wander form one water source to another even over high hills, sliding long stretches downhill. These wanderings occur at night.

During the coldest days of winter the otters need plenty of energy. Then they are seen also in daytime.

Otters eat different sorts of fish, and also frogs that hibernate in sludge. Small burbots are common food of otters. As they crawl in the bottom under the ice they come up every now and then to clean their fur from the mud by rolling on the ice.  This plump female otter is apparently expecting cubs.

Technique: Canon EOS V, 4/600+2X, tripod, Fuji Provia 400 X

Posio, December 2008