Details
Lontra canadensis
The North American river otter is an agile mustelid of rivers, lakes, and coasts. It slides along banks and hunts fish and crustaceans in the water.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It ranges through Nearctic freshwater and coastal habitats, including rivers, lakes, marshes, estuaries, and sheltered shorelines. Banks with dens, roots, and logs are valuable.
Length 66-107 cm; weight 5-14 kg. A streamlined body, short legs, webbed feet, and thick tail suit swimming. Dense waterproof fur is dark brown with a paler throat.
Crepuscular and social, it may travel in family groups or small parties. Sliding, play, calls, and scent marks are common parts of its behavior.
A carnivore, it eats fish, crayfish, frogs, mollusks, and other aquatic prey. It dives after prey and often eats on banks or floating platforms.
Delayed implantation follows mating. Females give birth in waterside dens and care for pups until they learn to swim and forage.
It is listed as Least Concern. Pollution and wetland loss reduced it in some areas, but protection and reintroduction have helped many populations recover.
