77. Eurasian Otter, Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758)

(IUCN Red List: NT)

Subspecies: L. l. seistanica Birula, 1912 .

Distribution: Uncommon; restricted to the Euphrates Valley with a range expansion in the inland rivers of the coastal region (Fig. 84).

Previous records: Tell Sheikh Hamad (Kock et al. 1994); es-Salihiyye, Halabiyyeh, and Tell Sheikh Hamad (Uhrin et al. 2000), Deir ez-zor (Masseti 2001, 2004), and along the lower Euphrates Valley (Murdoch & Aidek 2012); first photographic records were obtained in Deir ez-Zor, Al-Mansurah, and Wadi Qandil (3.5 km from the seashores in Latakia: Aidek et al. 2021b)

Recent record: Al-Arous River (south of Safita) and Al-Bseireh at Al-Khabur River (2022).