Ecologie de la loutre (Lutra lutra) dans le Marais Poitevin 2. Aperçu général du régime alimentaire

From 1982 to 1987, 165 otter spraints samples were collected in the Marais Poitevin area (Western France). Eel is the main prey whichever way the results are presented: relative occurrence, relative abundance or relative biomass. Despite their high frequency or abundance in the spraints, other preys such as Atherina, mosquito-fish, stickelback, stone loach, bluegill or invertebrates, are quite negligible as far as biomass is considered. In turn, less frequent bigger preys (mammals, tenches) are of geater importance. Except for cyprinid fishes, more frequent in spring, no marked seasonal variations were found in the otters diet.