The North American
River Otter
(Lontra canadensis)
By James Call
Illustrated by Lizabeth West
The
North American River Otter is probably the most numerous of 13 otter
species. Found in or near rivers and wetlands throughout
North America, river otters are powerful and graceful swimmers known for
their playfulness. They were found once from Alaska to Florida. Native
Americans hunted otters largely for their dense fur which enabled them to
keep warm. European settlers also hunted them for fur and developed the
land, cutting down forests and habitats. By the 1980s, eleven states
reported no otter population and thirteen other states reported scarce
numbers.
Inhabiting five of the continents of the world, the otter is the only
marine mammal to have fur instead of blubber. Otters are very smart; it is
one of a handful of tool-using mammals. Sea Otters use rocks to pry
abalones off rocks and to break open shells.
River otters grow to 35 pounds and 4 feet long. They have special
adaptations to help them swim underwater, including ears and eyes that
close to seal out the water, webbed feet and the ability to hold their
breath for three to four minutes under water.
Otters are usually born in late winter or early spring in a litter of four
cubs after a gestation period of nine to 12 months. At birth an otter
weighs about 5 ounces.
A river otter’s thick and furry hair is nearly black to reddish or a
grayish brown on its back. The hair on the belly is lighter, silvery or
grayish brown. Its nose is diamond shaped, with two nostrils at the lower
half.
The North American river otter likes to eat fish, crustaceans, amphibians,
reptiles, birds and insects.
This article appeared in the May-June 2001 issue of Florida Wildife
magazine.