Urban, Peter, 1962-

Aquatic macrophyte vegetation and its relationship to the occurrence of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in the Hron River (Slovakia) / Peter Urban ... [et al.]. -- The relationship between the presence of the otter, expressed by its sign behaviours (scent marks and spraints making) and the qualitative characteristics of aquatic macrophytes was studied in the Hron River (Slovakia). Based on macrophytes, it was possible to divide the Hron River into two sections. The upper section is relatively poor in species (species number – 3) when comparing it to the lower section (3.5). We suspect that, regarding the dominant influence of food availability, there only exists a very uncertain preference of visiting sections with a higher qualitative and quantitative representation of macrophytes in the watercourse. We found that in the lower section, that had a higher number of macrophytes, there were higher amounts of otter signs. The Hron River otter therefore seems to slightly prefer sections, which have greater macrophyte richness. However, differences in amount of otter signs between mentioned sections are relatively small and with statistically no significance

In IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin. -- Luxembourg : IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group, 2010. -- ISSN 1023-9030. -- ISSN 2224-8919. -- Vol. 27, no. 3 (2010), pp. 158-165