River otters are apex predators in their food web. Despite its common name, the North American river otter is equally comfortable in either coastal marine or freshwater habitats. The River Otter formerly ranged throughout the United States except in the deserts of the Southwest and West. Photo about Northern river otter on the wood. Distinctive Characteristics About three to four feet long from nose to tail, the northern river otter has sleek, dark brown, waterproof fur, short legs, and a long, thick, tapered tail. When cornered on land, they will fight and scratch. View in other NatureServe Network Field Guides, It seems your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio. Thought to be nearly extirpated from the mountains and upper piedmont by the 1930s, reintroduction projects in the mountains have reestablished a small population there. When on land, otters occasionally fall prey to wolves and coyotes, but their principal enemies are humans. Publication No. Its thick, powerful tail makes up nearly 20 inches of that length. The ultimate river otter predators are humans. Adams, R.A.  2003. Williams, P.C. The mammals have thick, protective fur to help them keep warm while swimming in cold waters. Small eyes and ears, a broad, flattened head, long cylindrical form, and four webbed feet suit it for its semiaquatic life. Look for this PDF icon at the top of each page as you search and browse. The few natural river otter predators include bears, coyotes, bobcats, cougars and dogs. The animal slides down mud and snow seemingly for the sheer delight of it. They do fine in both cold and warm temperatures of water. The river otter has a long, streamlined body with dense brown fur. The river otter food web maintains great biodiversity. River otters belong to the weasel family. Without river otters, entire watershed food webs would suffer. Mainly fish. R1-93-34. The Northern River Otter is found both in Canada and the United States. Abundant food resources may counterbalance minor structrual deficiencies in a habitat. The American river otter is a graceful and beautiful addition to many North Carolina rivers. Overview. These otters have brown-to-gray fur, and their undersides are a lighter, silvery shade. Otters often are found in aquatic habitats associated with beaver activity and in shallow pools or below small dams where fish are concentrated. Dens and lodges are used by river otters as rest and natal sites. A North American river otter had traveled to and set up camp in San Francisco for the first time in over 50 years. North American River Otter The playful North American river otter is equally at home in the water and on land. Currently, many populations along the coastal United States and Canada are stable or increasing, but this species is rare or extirpated throughout much of the Midwestern United States. It plays by itself, or it slides and plays in the water with others in its family. Once abundant throughout the watersheds of the United States and Canada, river otter numbers suffered greatly due to hunting by humans. River otters can be found throughout much of the United States, Canada and Mexico around the Rio Grande and Colorado River deltas. Otters have sharp claws on their feet to catch prey. Large and highly active members of the weasel family, river otters have big appetites. River otters use their fine sense of smell on land; below the water, their eyesight is far keener. The face is short with small ears. 1998. Bats of the Rocky Mountain West; natural history, ecology, and conservation. An adult North American river otter can weigh between 5.0 and 14 kg (11.0 and 30.9 lb). 2004. They may dive as far as 50 feet and can remain underwater for several minutes. The river otter food web plays a crucial role in the environments the river otter calls home. A lifelong writer, Dianne is also a content manager and science fiction & fantasy novelist. In the right habitat, River Otters can be found throughout Georgia. High flow volume water, densely vegetated and undercut banks preferable, non-turbid water and presence of sloughs and side channels to serve as brood rearing habitat are also important in winter. Habitat loss and water pollution also took detrimental tolls on river otters. Order of importance varies: sunfish, suckers, sculpin, trout, invertebrates, and frogs. Second edition. The adult Northern River Otter in Montana weighs around 20 pounds and measures close to 47 inches long. Underwater, the river otter swims as fast as 7 miles per hour with considerable grace and agility, necessary for catching prey. North American river otters are the only river otter that is found north of Mexico. They enjoy carp, sunfish, minnows, suckers, sculpin and salmonids such as: River otters also prefer slower-moving fish to game fish. Channel Set for Otters Amphibians and reptiles of Montana. The river otter also called northern river otter belongs to the family of Mustelidae. He’s trying to climb up the pipe!” It was then that the explainer in me wanted to jump in and say, actually, no. I, too, assumed that sea + otter = sea otter. The river otter is the largest member of the weasel family (Mustelidae). The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur. Management of Montana's amphibians: a review of factors that may present a risk to population viability and accounts on the identification, distribution, taxonomy, habitat use, natural history, and the status and conservation of individual species. They are highly adaptable animals so as long as they have access to enough food and water they can thrive. Their dense, short under-fur is overlain by darker, coarse guard hairs that help repel wa… Marsh near Punished Woman's Lake. Sighting one can be an exciting occasion for boaters, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts because of the creature’s secretive nature and relative rarity in some waters. Their body shape aids in helping them make sudden turns to catch fish and other prey. Small mammals in the river otter food chain include mice, immature beavers and muskrats. 289 p. Dobkin, D. S.  1992. Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado. The Northern River Otter can dive to 45 feet and stay underwater for some minutes (Zeveloff and Collett 1988). Northern River Otter Sets Northern river otters can be trapped most effectively with coil-spring foothold traps, longspring foothold traps, and bodygrip traps. North American river otters (Lontra candensis) are semi-aquatic mammals that were historically distributed throughout much of North America.Otters are native to Ohio but were extirpated by the early 1900s. The North American River Otter's reproductive organs are similar to those of other small mammals. It has 36 teeth. Probably breed every 2 to 3 years. Northern River Otter. The North American river otter was once nearly eliminated in Missouri, but thanks to restoration efforts, these powerful swimmers are once again found throughout most of the state. Common otter is the other name for this animal. One of nature’s most social and playful creatures, the northern river otter is often seen in pairs or groups frolicking in waterways, sliding on the mudflats or rolling on logs. Their … Females typically are smaller. Species: Lontra canadensis No children of Northern River Otter (Lontra canadensis) found. Northern River Otter Lontra canadensis. You can download select species by searching or when you're on a Taxa page like Class, Order, and Family. McLaughlin, C.M. Tobalske, B.A. The fat layer underneath their skin protects them from cold temperatures. Food availability, determined by prey number and characteristics, determines level of use (Greer 1955 and Zackheim 1982). Audio file courtesy of the Acoustic Atlas at Montana State University (www.acousticatlas.org), (Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version), (Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts), Montana Natural Heritage Program and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, http://FieldGuide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=AMAJF10010, Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest, Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland, Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Riparian Woodland and Shrubland, Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Riparian Shrubland, Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Riparian Woodland, Rocky Mountain Lower Montane, Foothill, and Valley Grassland, Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Mesic Meadow, Rocky Mountain Subalpine Deciduous Shrubland, Beaver Institute (research, management, education), Beavers Northwest (conflict resolution, conservation, education), Identification Manual to the Small Mammals of British Columbia, Montana Department of Agriculture Vertebrate Pest Bulletins, Natural Heritage MapViewer (Statewide Database of Animal Observations), Species Accounts for Mammals of the World, Details on Creation and Suggested Uses and Limitations. These are river otters. But instead, I held back and listened to the conversation, thinking back to ten years ago or so when I first saw river otters in the ocean. River otters possess long, muscular bodies suited to their life on both land and in water. Its short, muscular legs move surprisingly well on land, and is usually seen traveling in pairs (Foresman 2012). River otters may live along rivers, lakes, ponds, sloughs, bays, estuaries or even along a seacoast. River otters prefer larger fish due to ease of capture; larger prey gives river otters more energy as well. Open-water stream channels used (Zackheim 1982). They live in riparian zones, which are the areas that border stream, rivers, and lakes. The northern river otter (Lontra canadensis, formerly Lutra canadensis) is a semi-aquatic carnivorous mammal in the Mustelidae or “weasel family” which includes weasels, minks, ferrets, wolverines and badgers. The female births a litter of two to four pups in the spring. The long whiskers around their noses, called vibrissae, aid in food searches in murkier waters. 1998, Hutto and Young 1999, Maxell 2000, Foresman 2012, Adams 2003, and Werner et al. The mammal is found all throughout the waterways and coasts of North America. Their toes are webbed, they have short legs and they boast a tapered tail ranging up to 15 inches long. 2004); Evaluating structural characteristics and distribution of each ecological system relative to the species' range and habitat requirements; Examining the observation records for each species in the state-wide point observation database associated with each ecological system; Calculating the percentage of observations associated with each ecological system relative to the percent of Montana covered by each ecological system to get a measure of "observations versus availability of habitat". Enlarge Image . 2012. Canadian Journal of Zoology: Seasonal Diet of the Northern River Otter (Lontra Canadensis): What Drives Prey Selection? Maxell, D.P. River otters are smaller than their cousins, the sea otters. 1999. The otter was soon nicknamed Sutro Sam, and drew in legions of curious onlookers as he caught and chomped down fish, gathered reeds for bedding, and groomed or sunbathed on the concrete wall separating the baths from the beach. These pups stay with their mother until autumn. Mountain Press Publishing, Missoula, Montana. Male otters can grow to almost 4 feet long and can weigh up to 28 pounds. Wary in the wild, they are, nonetheless, sociable, docile, playful animals and easily domesticated. Hendricks, C.R. Northern river otters have thick lustrous fur. Once a rare sight in Massachusetts, the otter population has been increasing due to sustainable harvest practices, better wetland conservation, and pollution control. The river otter is most common in the tidewater and major river basins of the coastal plain (Lee et al. 161 p. Werner, J.K., B.A. Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database. Perhaps higher human-caused mortality than reported. Today, reintroduction efforts and stricter environmental regulation aid the increasing numbers of river otters. Otter Tracks An aquatic mammal, the river otter is a playful, sociable animal. The northern river otter (Lutra canadensis) historically lived in or near lakes, marshes, streams, and seashores throughout much of the North American continent. Its thick, powerful tail makes up nearly 20 inches of that length. A female river otter exhibits delayed implantation of her fertilized egg, so that it will not implant on her uterus for several months. It has a wide, rounded head with small ears and long, white whiskers. Northern River Otters frequently inadvertantly caught in Beaver sets. On average, otters range from 36 to 50 inches long from their head to the tip of the tail. The long guard hairs remain pliable in very cold weather (Ulrich 1986), and the dense underfur traps air to insulate it in water. Dianne features science as well as writing topics on her website, jdiannedotson.com. The river otter food chain also includes aquatic plants and roots. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region. River otters chew their food well, leaving very little waste. Generally solitary, river otters do engage in play when they meet. Their toes are webbed, they have short legs and they boast a tapered tail ranging up to 15 inches long. A sea otter! 2000. 72 p. Maxell, B.A. River otters possess long, muscular bodies suited to their life on both land and in water. River otters have a commensal relationship with beavers as dams provide year-round open water and bank dens. Typically such dens are makeshift, from log piles or similar natural sources, but often they will use former beaver or nutria dens as well. Their body shape aids in helping them make sudden turns to catch fish and other prey. It has a long tail that is thick at the base, tapers toward the tip and grows to 12 to 19 inches in length. When winter arrives, river otters will hunt under ice for food. River otters consume both aquatic animal and plant life, with some exceptions. They are found throughout most of North America – from the Rio Grande in Northern Mexico to Canada and Alaska. For this reason, the river otter must consume food often. Habitat relationships of landbirds in the Northern Region, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station RMRS-GTR-32. Mammals of Montana. Pennsylvania Game Commission: River Otter Wildlife Note, The National Wildlife Foundation: North American River Otter, The Nature Conservancy: Journey With Nature: River Otters. She spent nine years working in laboratory and clinical research. Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Company. Young. The adult Northern River Otter in Montana weighs around 20 pounds and measures close to 47 inches long. J. Dianne Dotson is a science writer with a degree in zoology/ecology and evolutionary biology. Their high metabolisms result in rapid food digestion. Neotropical migrant land birds in the Northern Rockies and Great Plains. In addition, its fur, dark brown on top, silvery or paler brown on the throat, chest, and underside, has special qualities. Maxell, P. Hendricks, and D. Flath. River otters reach sexual maturity at two years. Few river otter predators exist in nature. Here's some links if you want to download a whole group. The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is a semiaquatic mammal in the weasel family.While it may simply be called the "river otter" in North America (to distinguish it from the sea otter) there are other river otter species throughout the world. The river otter food chain also consists of mussels, bivalves, snails, crabs, crayfish, turtles, frogs, large beetles, worms, injured waterfowl or chicks, bird eggs, fish eggs, snakes and snake eggs. Otters are considered lucky animals in many Native American cultures and the otter is a symbol of loyalty and honesty in some West Coast tribes, but in northern British Columbia and the Alaskan coast, river otters (usually called "land-otters") were associated with ghosts and drowning and were regarded by the people with awe and dread. Writer with a degree in zoology/ecology and evolutionary Biology deficiencies in a habitat,! 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