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North American River Otter Fast Facts

North American River Otter Fast Facts

October 27, 20141583Views

The river otter, or common otter, is found throughout North America. A member of the weasel family, otters make their burrows on the edge of rivers, lakes and coasts. Most dens have a network of tunnels with an above ground entrance and one underwater. It is not uncommon for an otter to steal a home from a beaver or fox. An adult otter can weigh anywhere from 11 to 40 pounds. They can live up to nine years in the wild, but captive otters have been documented up to 13 years old.

Related article: North American River Otter: An Unlikely Apex Predator

River otters are adept swimmers with long, powerful tails and webbed feet. Their thick, oily fur requires constant grooming but keeps them warm in the coldest of rivers and lakes. This means the otter can stay active even in winter, creating ice holes to breathe through throughout their hunting ground. Even so, otters can hold their breath for up to seven or eight minutes. Otters hunt mostly at night, using their long whiskers to sense animals swimming nearby in the dark water. Their favorite food is fish, but they will also eat frogs, turtles and even other small mammals.

Sea otter snacking on fish
Photo from Mark Stoop/Unsplash

Males lead mostly solitary lives but may have multiple dens of females he visits regularly in his 10 mile territory. While male and female otters might live together for the mating season, only the female raises the young. A typical litter contains two to three pups who take eight months to reach maturity. River otters are extremely playful animals which helps them learn necessary survival skills. Pups need to learn what to eat and how to swim from their mothers before they set out to make their own burrows.

Related article: The Battle of the Otter and the Caiman

During the 1500s, otters were threatened by over poaching and habitat loss. European colonists prized their pelts for the thick, water repellent fur. River otters are currently protected under conservation laws. Streams and rivers were destroyed by logging and pollution. Other than humans, otters must contend with coyote, crocodiles and alligators. Today, the otter population has since stabilized, and in parts of North America, you can even obtain a license to hunt and trap river otters.

Underneath that adorable exterior, however, lies a vicious nature that serves to both protect and feed river otters — check out this incredible footage of giant Amazon river otters facing off against a fearsome Caiman.

Related article: Protect the Sea Otter, Protect the Environment

Featured Image from Zachary Spears/Unsplash