River Otter Pictures

We “Otters” Learn About Otters

By Kim A. Cabrera

Crunch, crunch. The young otter’s sharp teeth made short work of the pikeminnow it clutched in its webbed paws. I was four feet away, up to my neck in the Eel River near Redway Beach. The little otter’s two companions had taken one look at the strange creature (me) and hidden in the brush above us. This otter apparently classified me as no threat and took the opportunity to eat the fish without having to share with its siblings. It made a great photo opportunity for me, because wild otters seldom allow humans to get so close.

The river otter is a native species in the Eel River and its tributaries. Otters are relatives of weasels and share some characteristics with their cousins. They have long, slender bodies with short legs. An otter’s tail is long and is used to help it swim. Their fur is thick and keeps them warm even when wet. An otter can close its nostrils to keep water out when swimming. The large feet have webbed toes, which help them swim with ease. An otter in the water is a joy to watch. They move so smoothly and gracefully.

River otters, like some of their weasel cousins, use scent to communicate among members of their species. They do this is several ways. One way is by making scent mounds. An otter will scrape together a mound of mud, grass, and debris, then it will deposit musky-scented urine or feces on top. Otter scent glands can produce a yellowish secretion that is quite pungent. Another method is to use their scat, or droppings. Otters develop favorite sites along the river that they use as latrines. These latrines serve as otter “post offices.” Each time an otter passes this location, it will stop to investigate any fresh deposits, and leave some of its own. Latrines are located in easy pull-out locations, and sometimes even on steeper areas, always adjacent to the water. Often, you will smell it before you see it.

River otter tracks show five toes, often with the webs visible. The toes appear more bulbous than those of the raccoon, and can appear pointed due to the closeness of the claw mark to the toe mark. The hind feet can be slightly larger than the front ones. The inner toe is smallest, and sometimes does not leave an imprint, which can make these tracks easy to confuse with canine tracks. Always take into account the habitat when identifying tracks. That will help you sort out the puzzling one

Otters eat a variety of prey.

River Otter Pictures | Cool Pictures | Little Girl Pictures ...

River Otter Pictures

Although both mammals and desired for their fur, there are unique differences between a river otter and sea otter. Each is playful, curious and depends on water for it’s food source.

The sea otter is a mammal of the weasel family well adapted for sea life. It can be found off the central Californian coast, western Alaska and the Bering Sea. It is known for its highly desirable fur.

Its hind feet are broad and webbed and function as oars. Its teeth are flat and broad enabling it to crack the shells of shellfish. It will float on its back with food on its stomach using a flat stone to crack open the food.

It measures 5 feet in length with a 12 inch tail and weighs 30 to 100 pounds. Its feet are short, square and hairy with a hairy tail. It whiskers are long and sensitive enabling it to find food in dark waters. Usually feeding in the morning and before sunset, it hunts in short dives. It can hold its breath for up to five minutes. It feeds on sea urchins, abalone, mussels, clams and large snails. Its fur is dark brown with a silver tint. It protects itself from cold water by air trapped between its long hair fibers. If the hair is soiled, the insulating feature is lost.

It is an independent, curious and playful animal. It will coo or grunt when content and whistle or scream when threatened. Its predators are orcas, sea lions and bald eagles. It also will be attacked by sharks, but the sharks rarely eat it. It has been hunted for over 170 years for its fur and has recently been threatened by extinction. Now protected by an international treaty, its population is on the rise but it is still classified as endangered. It does well in captivity and is featured in many zoos and aquariums.

There are several types of river otters: North American, Southern River, Neotropical, Eurasian and Japanese. It is a mammal that is adapted to aquatic life and known for its playfulness and prized fur.

It can be found in inland streams, estuaries and sea coves in most parts of the word. It measures 5 feet including a tail of 2 feet. It is brown with the lips, chin and throat red-gray. It has a long cylindrical body, flattened head, broad snout, small eyes and ears, thick lips and long whiskers. The front legs are short and the hind legs and feet are large with webbed toes and hairy pads.

It feeds on fish, birds, frogs, crayfish and water rats. It will catch its food in the water and bring it on land. Closing its nostrils and ears while swimming, it can remain underwater for long periods of time.

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