Age

Incremental cementum lines were used to assess the age structure of sub-adult and mature wild otters. 

Of the 110 otters aged, only 10 were four years or older making the age structure of the sample population much younger than some comparable European populations (Sherrard-Smith & Chadwick, 2010). Although this method gives a broad indication of age structure, the technique is likely to underestimate age in species such as otters which do not exhibit seasonal breeding.

Funding