Body size changes among otters, Lutra lutra, in Norway: the possible effects of food availability and global warming.
Using museum data of adult specimens whose sex, age, and locality are known, we studied temporal and geographical body size trends among the otter, Lutra lutra, in Norway. We found that body size of the otters increased during the last quarter of the twentieth century, and suggest that this trend is related to increased food availability from fish farming and possibly also to energy saving due to elevated sea temperatures. Birth year and death year explained 38.8 and 43.5%, respectively, of the variation in body size. Body size of otters was positively related to latitude, thus conforming to Bergmann's rule.
Yom-Tov
Yoram
Y
Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel. yomtov@post.tau.ac.il
Heggberget
Thrine Moen
TM
Wiig
Oystein
O
Yom-Tov
Shlomith
S
D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet; D005843:Geography; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D009664:Norway; D010041:Otters / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis