568 



CARNIVORA 



Fig. 261.— Palate of Lutra cinerea. (From the 

 Palceontologia Indica.) 



carnassial with a trenchant tricuspid blade, and a very large inner 

 lobe, hollowed on the free surface, with a raised sharp edge, and extend- 

 ing along two-thirds or more of the length of the blade. True 



molar large, with a quadri- 

 cuspidate crown, broader 

 than long. First upper 

 premolar very small, and 

 in some cases absent (Fig. 

 261). Skull broad and 

 depressed, contracted im- 

 mediately behind the 

 orbits. Facial portion 

 very short • brain case 

 large. Vertebrae : C 7, 

 D 14-15, L 6-5, S 3, C 

 20-26. Body very long. 

 Ears short and rounded. 

 Limbs short. Feet more or less completely webbed ; claws usually 

 well developed on all the toes, although they may be rudimentary 

 or absent. Tail long, thick at the base and tapering, rather 

 depressed. Fur short and close. The humerus may or may not 

 have an entepicondylar foramen. In conformity with the shape 

 of the skull, the posterior part of the brain is expanded laterally. 



The Common British Otter (L. vulgaris), as the type of the 

 genus, may be described somewhat fully. It has an elongated, low 

 body, short limbs, short broad feet, with five toes on each, con- 

 nected together by webs, and all with short, moderately strong, 

 compressed, curved, pointed claws. Head rather small, broad, and 

 flat ; muzzle very broad ; whiskers thick and strong ; eyes small 

 and black ; ears short and rounded. Tail a little more than half 

 the length of the body and head together, very broad and strong at 

 the base, and gradually tapering to the end, somewhat flattened 

 horizontally. The fur is of very fine quality, consisting of a short 

 soft under fur of a whitish-gray colour, brown at the tips, inter- 

 spersed with longer, stiffer, and thicker hairs, very shining, grayish 

 at the base, bright rich brown at the points, especially on the upper 

 parts and outer surface of the legs ; the throat, cheeks, under parts 

 and inner surface of the legs brownish-gray throughout. Individual 

 Otters vary much in size ; but the total length from the nose to the 

 end of the tail averages about 3h feet, of which the tail occupies 

 1 foot 3 or 4 inches. The weight of a full-sized male is from 1 8 to 

 24 lbs., that of a female about 4 lbs. less. 



As the Otter lives almost exclusively on fish, it is rarely met 

 with far from water, and usually frequents the shores of brooks, 

 rivers, lakes, and, in some localities, the sea itself. It is a most 

 expert swimmer and diver, easily overtaking and seizing fish in the 



