IELTS Reading: Otters Passage Explained (Answers & Detailed Translation)

“Otters” is an engaging IELTS Reading passage centered on Science & Zoology. This text provides comprehensive information on the biological characteristics, habitats, hunting behaviors, and conservation efforts regarding otters in the UK.

This article from ECE Language Center will help you break down the passage in detail, providing a translation, a summary of key vocabulary, and thorough explanations for each question to help you study effectively.

Otter Reading Passage Overview

Otter

A. Otters have long, thin bodies and short legs – ideal for pushing through dense undergrowth or hunting in tunnels. An adult male may be up to 4 feet long and 30lbs. Females are typically smaller. The Eurasian otter’s nose is about the smallest among the otter species and has a characteristic shape described as a shallow ‘W’. An otter’s tail (or rudder, or stern) is stout at the base and tapers towards the tip where it flattens. This forms part of the propulsion unit when swimming fast underwater. Otter fur consists of two types of hair: stout guard hairs which form a waterproof outer covering, and under-fur which is dense and fine, equivalent to an otter’s thermal underwear. The fur must be kept in good condition by grooming. Seawater reduces the waterproofing and insulating qualities of otter fur when salt is in the fur. This is why freshwater pools are important to otters living on the coast. After swimming, they wash the salts off in pools and squirm on the ground to rub dry against vegetation.

B. Scent is used for hunting on land, for communication and for detecting danger. An otter’s sense of smell is likely to be similar in sensitivity to that of a dog. Otters have small eyes and are probably short-sighted on land. But they do have the ability to modify the shape of the lens in the eye to make it more spherical, and hence overcome the refraction of water. In clear water and good light, otters can hunt fish by sight. The otter’s eyes and nostrils are placed high on its head so that it can see and breathe even when the rest of the body is submerged. Underwater, the otter holds its legs against the body, except for steering, and the hind end of the body is flexed in a series of vertical undulations. River otters have webbing which extends for much of the length of each digit, though not to the very end. Giant otters and sea otters have even more prominent webs, while the Asian short-clawed otter has no webbing – they hunt for shrimps in ditches and paddy fields so they don’t need the swimming speed. Otter’s ears are tiny for streamlining, but they still have very sensitive hearing and are protected by valves which close them against water pressure.

C. A number of constraints and preferences limit suitable habitats for otters. Water is a must and the rivers must be large enough to support a healthy population of fish. Being such shy and wary creatures, they prefer territories where human activities do not impinge greatly. Of course, there must also be no other otter already in residence – this has only become significant again recently as populations start to recover. Coastal otters have a much more abundant food supply and the range for males and females may be just a few kilometres of coastline. Because the male range overlaps with two or three females – not bad! Otters will eat anything that they can get hold of – there are records of sparrows, snakes, and slugs being gobbled. Apart from fish, the most common prey are crayfish, crabs, and water birds. Small mammals are occasionally taken, most commonly rabbits but sometimes even moles.

D. Eurasian otters will breed any time where food is readily available. In places where conditions are more severe, Sweden for example where the lakes are frozen for much of winter, cubs are born in spring. This ensures that they are well-grown before severe weather returns. In the Shetlands, cubs are born in summer when fish are more abundant. Though otters can breed every year, some do not. Again, this depends on food availability. Other factors such as food range and the quality of the female may have an effect. Gestation for Eurasian otters is 63 days, with the exception of Lutra canadensis whose embryos may undergo delayed implantation. Otters normally give birth in more secure dens to avoid disturbances. Nests are lined with bedding to keep the cub warm when mummy is away feeding.

E. Otters normally give birth in more secure dens to avoid disturbances. Nests are lined with bedding (reeds, waterside plants, grass) to keep the cub warm while mommy is away feeding. Litter size varies between 1 and 5. For some unknown reason, coastal otters tend to produce smaller litters. At five weeks they open their eyes – a tiny cub of 700g. At seven weeks they’re weaned onto solid food. At ten weeks they leave the nest, blinking into daylight for the first time. After three months they finally meet the water and learn to swim. After eight months they are hunting, though the mother still provides a lot of food herself. Finally, after nine months she can chase them all away with a clear conscience, and relax – until the next fella shows up.

F. The plight of the British otter was recognised in the early 60s, but it wasn’t until the late 70s that the chief cause was discovered. Pesticides, such as dieldrin and aldrin, were first used in 1955 in agriculture and other industries – these chemicals are very persistent and had already been recognised as the cause of huge declines in the population of peregrine falcons, sparrow hawks, and other predators. The pesticides entered the river systems and the food chain – micro-organisms, fish, and finally otters, with every step increasing the concentration of the chemicals. From 1962 the chemicals were phased out, but while some species recovered quickly, otter numbers did not – and continued to fall into the 80s. This was probably due mainly to habitat destruction and road deaths. Acting on populations fragmented by the sudden decimation in the 50s and 60s, the loss of just a handful of otters in one area can make an entire population unviable and spell the end.

G. Otter numbers are recovering all around Britain – populations are growing again in the few areas where they had remained and have expanded from those areas into the rest of the country. This is almost entirely due to legislation, conservation efforts, slowing down and reversing the destruction of suitable otter habitat and reintroductions from captive breeding programs. Releasing captive-bred otters is seen by many as a last resort. The argument runs that where there is no suitable habitat for them they will not survive after release and where there is suitable habitat, natural populations should be able to expand into the area. However, reintroducing animals into a fragmented and fragile population may add just enough impetus for it to stabilise and expand, rather than die out. This is what the Otter Trust accomplished in Norfolk, where the otter population may have been as low as twenty animals at the beginning of the 1980s. The Otter Trust has now finished its captive breeding program entirely, great news because it means it is no longer needed.

Questions

Questions 1-9: The reading passage has seven paragraphs A-G.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 1-9 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

1. A description of how otters regulate vision underwater

2. The fit-for-purpose characteristics of an otter’s body shape

3. A reference to an underdeveloped sense

4. An explanation of why agriculture hindered otter conservation efforts

5. A description of some of the otter’s social characteristics

6. A description of how baby otters grow

7. The conflicting opinions on how to preserve them

8. A reference to legislative acts

9. An explanation of how otters compensate for heat loss

Questions 10-13: Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

10. What affects the outer fur of otters?

11. What skill is not necessary for Asian short-clawed otters?

12. Which type of otters has the shortest range?

13. Which type of animals do otters hunt occasionally?

Summary of the Reading Passage

To grasp the main ideas, here is a brief summary of each paragraph:

• Paragraph A (Physical Characteristics): Describes the long body, short legs, and flattened tail that help otters swim fast. Notably, their two-layer fur (waterproof and insulating) must be cleaned with freshwater to maintain its function.

• Paragraph B (Senses & Swimming Ability): Otters have a sense of smell as good as a dog’s; their vision is poor on land but they can adjust their eye lenses to see clearly underwater. Eyes and nostrils are positioned high on the head. They have webbed feet (except for the Asian short-clawed otter).

• Paragraph C (Habitat & Diet): Otters require clean rivers, sufficient fish, and minimal human disturbance. Coastal otters have a more abundant food supply. They are omnivorous: eating fish, shrimp, crabs, water birds, and occasionally small mammals (rabbits).

• Paragraph D (Breeding): Breeding timing depends on food availability. In colder regions (Sweden), cubs are born in spring; in the Shetlands, they are born in summer. The gestation period is about 63 days.

• Paragraph E (Growth Process): Details the development of otter cubs from birth, opening their eyes (5 weeks), weaning (7 weeks), leaving the nest (10 weeks), learning to swim (3 months), to becoming independent (9 months).

• Paragraph F (Causes of Decline): Otter numbers dropped sharply in the 50s and 60s primarily due to pesticides (dieldrin, aldrin) accumulating in the food chain. Later, even after chemicals were banned, numbers continued to fall due to habitat loss and road accidents.

• Paragraph G (Conservation & Recovery): Otter numbers are recovering thanks to legislation, environmental conservation, and captive breeding programs. There is some debate regarding reintroduction, but the results in Norfolk have shown positive effects.

Key Vocabulary Summary

Answers and Detailed Explanations

1. B

• Content: A description of how otters regulate vision underwater.

• Explanation: Paragraph B states: “modify the shape of the lens in the eye to make it more spherical, and hence overcome the refraction of water.”

2. A

• Content: The fit-for-purpose characteristics of an otter’s body shape.

• Explanation: Paragraph A describes: “long, thin bodies and short legs – ideal for pushing through dense undergrowth…”

3. B

• Content: A reference to an underdeveloped sense.

• Explanation: Paragraph B mentions: “probably short-sighted on land.”

4. F

• Content: An explanation of why agriculture hindered otter conservation efforts.

• Explanation: Paragraph F discusses “Pesticides… used in agriculture” entering the food chain and harming otters.

5. C

• Content: A description of some of the otter’s social characteristics.

• Explanation: Paragraph C mentions territory and distribution: “Because the male range overlaps with two or three females.”

6. E

• Content: A description of how baby otters grow.

• Explanation: Paragraph E describes the process from opening eyes (5 weeks), weaning, learning to swim, to maturity (9 months).

7. G

• Content: The conflicting opinions on how to preserve them.

• Explanation: Paragraph G discusses the debate over releasing captive-bred otters: “Releasing captive-bred otters is seen by many as a last resort…”

8. G

• Content: A reference to legislative acts.

• Explanation: Paragraph G mentions: “This is almost entirely due to legislation…”

9. A

• Content: An explanation of how otters compensate for heat loss.

• Explanation: Paragraph A discusses the “under-fur which is dense and fine, equivalent to an otter’s thermal underwear.”

10. Sea water / Salt water / Salt

• Question: What affects the outer fur of otters?

• Location (Paragraph A): “Seawater reduces the waterproofing and insulating qualities of otter fur…”

11. Swimming speed

• Question: What skill is not necessary for Asian short-clawed otters?

• Location (Paragraph B): “Asian short-clawed otter has no webbing… so they don’t need the swimming speed.”

12. Coastal otters

• Question: Which type of otters has the shortest range?

• Location (Paragraph C): “Coastal otters… range for males and females may be just a few kilometres…”

13. Small mammals

• Question: Which type of animals do otters hunt occasionally?

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