Laurie Campbell’s tips for tracking otters
● Droppings, known as SPRAINT, vary according to diet. On the seashore, where they feed on crustaceans, the spraint is pale and crunchy, a bit like cat litter. On rivers and wetlands, where they’re predominantly feeding on fish, the spraint is black or greyish, oily when fresh and smells slightly sweet.
● SPRAINT SITES are also used for communication – serving as noticeboards to other otters crossing the same territory – so droppings are often deposited on prominent boulders, logs and tussocks of grass above the waterline ( left). You may see patches on mossy boulders where the accumulation of otter urine has burnt the moss to a yellow-brown colour.
● ‘Getting your eye in’ when it comes to spotting otters involves getting a sense of the SCALE OF THE ANIMAL in relation to the wider landscape. Otters are easily overlooked, especially when they’re in moving water, as they present a very low profile. The sleek animals allow only a glimpse of their heads, bodies and tails to show above the surface.
● Otter-width PATHS AND TUNNELS through waterside vegetation can be visible in the wider landscape ( right), as well as ‘slides’ into the water. Flattened grass near the water’s edge can be a clue that otters have rolled around to dry themselves.
● PRINTS will be left on the mud or sand by the water’s edge. Otters have five forward-facing toes; dogs and foxes have four. The fifth toe doesn’t always leave a print unless the mud is soft, but the rounded prints are arranged in a semi-circle and are asymmetrical without the fifth toe.
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Laurie Campbell is a self-taught naturalist who has spent almost 50 years photographing Scottish wildlife. He was excited to capture otters at once-depleted rivers. Visit lauriecampbell.com
Juvenile otters stay close to their mothers as they learn to forage and catch fish. They may be a year old before they can fend for themselves