%0 Journal Article
%T Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) in the Central Part of the Slovak-Hungarian Border Area
%A Peter Urban
%A Csaba Bal¨˘zs
%A Istv¨˘n Lantos
%A Sebasti¨˘n G¨˘sp¨˘r
%J IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
%D 2011
%I IUCN Otter Specialist Group
%X The mapping of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) distribution in the central part of the Slovak-Hungarian border was undertaken in winter 2010/2011 by searching for signs of presence of the otter. Authors checked 351 chosen survey sites (50-m transects, 242 points in Hungary and 109 in Slovakia). At every site, all signs of otter presence were surveyed. Preferably, survey sites were located under bridges (299). Sites were considered as either ˇ°positiveˇ± or ˇ°negativeˇ±. In total, 155 sites (44.1%, 105 in Hungary and 50 in Slovakia) were positive and 196 (55.8%, 137 in Hungary and 59 in Slovakia) were negative. Otters deposited spraints usually on specific substrate, mostly on blocks (201; 27.3%), concrete (189, 25.7%), and stone concrete (125, 17.0%). Altogether, 185 (61.9%) bridges and culverts were passable and 114 (38.1%) were not passable for the otters during mapping. The otters were regularly observed in optimal habitats (e.g. Ipe  and Zagyva rivers and its larger tributaries) but also in suboptimal and marginal habitats such as regulated and narrow brooks and channels. The otter population in the central part of the Slovak-Hungarian border area was considered stable and otters occurred throughout this area.
%K Lutra lutra
%K mapping
%K distribution
%K spraints
%K bridges
%K habitats
%K southern Slovakia
%K northern Hungary
%U http://www.otterspecialistgroup.org/Bulletin/Volume28/Urban_et_al_2011.pdf