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A study has identified evidence of a significant smooth-coated otter population in the Mettur dam and Cauvery river stretches of Salem district, Tamil Nadu.
Researchers have called for the area to be declared a protected freshwater habitat.
The smooth-coated otter is one of three otter species found in India.
Otters are apex predators of freshwater systems and act as indicators of river health.
Otters sit at the top of the freshwater food chain, feeding mainly on fish. Because a predator needs a large and stable prey base to survive, a healthy otter population can only exist where fish stocks are abundant, water quality is good and the riverbank vegetation they use for denning is intact. Their presence therefore certifies the condition of the whole river system, and their disappearance is usually an early warning of pollution, overfishing or habitat destruction — often before those changes are obvious by other measures.
Simple Analogy: Otters work like the top floor of a building: if it is still standing, everything supporting it underneath must be sound.
GS Paper 3 > Conservation and Biodiversity
General Awareness > Environment
Which one of the following is the national aquatic animal of India?
Answer: Gangetic dolphin
If you want to see gharials in their natural habitat, which one of the following is the best place to visit?
Answer: Chambal River
One of three otter species found in India, inhabiting rivers, wetlands and reservoirs.
A species whose presence or absence signals the ecological condition of its habitat.
A species at the top of its food chain with no natural predators of its own.
A major dam on the Cauvery river in Salem district, Tamil Nadu.