Where is the best place to see an otter in Devon? I work in Totnes and apparently there used to be one on the river but I have never seen it.
They're very shy creatures, and you're most likely to spot what they leave behind rather than the animals themselves. Their droppings - spraints - are tarry when fresh and contain bones and fish scales. They're about 5cms long. They dry out grey to look a bit like cigar ash. Look for footprints in fresh mud - they have 5 webbed toes.
Devon Wildlife Trust has been monitering otter populations and reports activity on most of our main rivers. There's info on the Trust's website.
I have myself seen the Totnes otter, but not for a couple of years. I saw it several times between the Brustus Bridge and the main town bridge, always at low tide. Amazingly it didn't seem nervous of those watching on the bank, so I wondered if it was an escapee from the Otter Farm in Buckfastleigh and used to humans.