REDISCOVERING THE EURASIAN OTTER (Lutra Lutra L.) IN FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA AND NOTES ON ITS POSSIBLE EXPANSION IN NORTHERN ITALY

In Italy ottersoccur in two small populations in the South, while in the Alps they have been extinct for about 50 years. In Austria, the species is recovering and re- colonizing the Southern part of the country. The first record of the species in the Italian Alps goes back to 2008, when otterswere found in the most upper catchment of the River Drau in the Region Trentino Alto Adige - South Tyrol. In the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia (NE Italy), in 2011 and 2012 two otterswere found road killed within the catchment of the River Tagliamento. These findings prompted an ottersurvey, carried out in spring 2014 along the catchment of the upper Tagliamento and the Italian side of the River Slizza-Gailitz, which drains the area of Tarvisio and joins the River Drau in Austria, near Villach. The survey covered an area of 3200 km 2 . A total of 138 bridges and 16 stretches of 600 m were checked along the river banks for ottersigns, i.e. spraintsand tracks. Ottersigns were found at 27 of the investigated sites, in the area of Tarvisio along the River Slizza-Gailitz (Drau catchment), but not in the catchment of the Tagliamento. Like for individuals found in Alto Adige - South Tyrol ottersliving in the area of Tarvisio belong to the River Drau population in Austria.