For instance, Catostomidae are the primary dietary component of North American river otters in Colorado's Upper Colorado River Basin.  Susceptibility of these species is greatest during the summer (when waterfowl broods are vulnerable) and autumn. Reduced lobulation of the lungs is presumed to be adaptive for underwater swimming. Sometimes they eat aquatic plants. The North American river otter (Lutra canadensis) is found in almost every state, including Virginia.River otters are extremely social and often frolic in the water with their mates or cubs, slide down hills on their bellies or wrestle with other otters on land. The North American river otter has a delicate sense of touch in the paws in addition to great dexterity. Currently this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today remain stable. North American river otters seem to be sensitive to pollution and disappear from areas with polluted waters.  They are now absent or rare in Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia. At the Zoo, our river otters have a highly varied diet. North American river otters build dens in the burrows of other mammals, in natural hollows, such as under a log, or in river banks. Sliding occurs mostly on even surfaces of snow or ice, but can also occur on grassy slopes and muddy banks. But around the turn of the 19th century, overhunting and a lack of wildlife management decimated the river otter population in North Carolina’s mountains and Piedmont. Being aquatic in nature, this species is confined to places that have permanent water. River otters prefer to eat non-game fish species, so in a healthy ecosystem they don’t compete with human fishermen. Otter species can be found across Eurasia, Africa, India, Japan, Indonesia, North America, South America, and Central America. However, North American river otters remain rare or absent in the southwestern United States.  North American river otters generally feed on prey that is in larger supply and easier to catch. The ears are short, the neck is the same diameter as the head, the legs are short and powerful, the toes are fully webbed, and the tail (one-third of body length) is tapered.  Other fish an integral part of the North American river otters' diets are those that are often plentiful and found in large schools: sunfish (Lepomis spp. The vulnerability and seasonal availability of prey animals mainly governs its food habits and prey choices. Encounters between North American river otters and beavers are not necessarily hostile. Bounding is the result of simultaneous lifting of the limbs off the ground. Otters love to eat River otters are busy carnivores that you might spot from bay, lake, or stream shorelines, as they hunt for flounders, sole, sculpin, herring, surfperch, gunnels, rockfish, sandlance, salmon, crabs, soft clams, and other invertebrates. Birds and birds’ eggs, as well as small terrestrial mammals may also be eaten. , North American river otters are renowned for their sense of play. Historically, these animals were hunted for their coats. What do North American River Otters eat? The young eat mainly invertebrates, such as insects, insect larvae, snails, spiders and worms. While swimming at the surface, the dorsal portion of the North American river otter's head, including nostrils, ears, and eyes, is exposed above water. Although other prey species are of temporary significance to the North American river otter, the deciding factor whether the North American river otter can establish itself as a permanent resident of one location is the year-round availability of fish. An entrance, which may be under water or above ground, leads to a nest chamber lined with leaves, grass, moss, bark, and hair.  In the wild, they normally live about 8 to 9 years, but are capable of living up to 13 years of age. ), daces (Rhinichthys spp. Otters eat a variety of small aquatic organisms such as fish, clams, muskrats, and turtles. The North American River Otter is actually the only river otter found north of Mexico and spends most of its time in bodies of fresh water (i.e.  Bottom-dwelling species, which have the tendency to remain immobile until a predator is very close, are susceptible to North American river otters. Similarly, many perceived threats to North American river otters, such as pollution and habitat alterations, have not been rigorously evaluated. , Oil spills present a localized threat to otter populations, especially in coastal areas. , The range of the North American river otter has been significantly reduced by habitat loss, beginning with the European colonization of North America. Sometimes they eat aquatic plants. Fur of the North American river otter is thick and lustrous and is the most durable of Native American furs. North American River Otter on The IUCN Red List site -, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_river_otter, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/12302/0. North American otters are playful animals, and indulge in water play, mud/snow sliding, and burrowing through snow. In warmer months, they are most active between dusk and dawn. The species is widely distributed throughout its range. , North American river otters are highly mobile and have the capacity of traveling up to 42 km (26 mi) in one day.  , North American river otters are polygynous. What do North American River Otters eat? Preceding the settlement of North America by Europeans, North American river otters were prevalent among aquatic habitats throughout most of the continent. North American river otters are active year-round, and are most active at night and during crepuscular hours. , CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, "Expert says otter attacks are rare after St. Pete dog killed", "Dog attacked by otters in Lakewood, homeowners say", "7 Surprising Facts About the Giant River Otter", "Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: Resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation", 10.1644/1545-1410(2002)712<0001:LM>2.0.CO;2, "North American River Otter – National Wildlife Federation", "Basic Facts About North American River Otters", "Distribution and abundance of river otter in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota", "Food habits of the river otter in Suisun Marsh, Central California", "Feeding relationships of river otters in northeastern Pennsylvania", Food habits of the North American river otter (, "Social Networks and the Formation and Maintenance of River Otter Groups", "Art Lander's Outdoors: Once endangered river otters now likely to be found in Kentucky for generations", Colorado Otters May No Longer Need Protection, "Final report of the North American river otter research project on the Upper Colorado River Basin in and adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado", https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lontra_canadensis/, COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Grizzly Bear, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=North_American_river_otter&oldid=992972571, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 December 2020, at 02:59. A shorter trachea may improve air exchange and increase lung ventilation in diving mammals.. Otters have a long body covered in soft brown fur. River otters prefer to eat non-game fish species, so in a healthy ecosystem they don’t compete with human fishermen. In the winter, crayfish made up one-third of the North American river otter's diet. Reintroduction projects have expanded their distribution in recent years, especially in the Midwestern United States. Water quality is lowered, water is depleted, timber and other vegetation is cleared and becomes scarce. Hollows in the banks of ponds and rivers make excellent dens and so do former Beaver lodges. Male North American river otters disperse from such family groups more often than females. Water pollution and other diminution of aquatic and wetland habitats may limit distribution and pose long-term threats if the enforcement of water quality standards is not upheld. The species is also present throughout Alaska, including the Aleutian Islands, and the north slope of the Brooks Range. Since 1976, over 4,000 otters have been reintroduced in 21 U.S. states.  North American river otters do not generally handle prey of a large size relative to themselves but there are occasions where they've been observed ambushing and killing adult common snapping turtles while the large turtles (which are roughly equal in average body weight to a North American river otter) are hibernating. They sometimes eat aquatic plants. , North American river otters live an average of 21 years of age in captivity, but they can reach 25 years of age. Moreover, a western Oregon study revealed fish remains were present in 80% of the 103 digestive tracts examined. They even take down gulls, ducks, and petrels at times to satisfy their voracious appetites. Live fish are typically eaten from the head. What do the adult river otters eat?  In late 2012, a river otter nicknamed Sutro Sam took up residence around the former site of the Sutro Baths in San Francisco, the first river otter sighting in that city in more than half a century. A highly active predator, the North American river otter has adapted to hunting in water, and eats aquatic and semiaquatic animals. Environmental disasters, such as oil spills, may increase levels of blood haptoglobin and interleukin-6 immunoreactive protein, but decrease body mass.  They have long bodies, and long whiskers that are used to detect prey in dark waters. Family groups may include helpers, which can be made up of unrelated adults, yearlings, or juveniles. In Idaho and Massachusetts, ecological elements preferred for latrine sites include large conifers, points of land, beaver bank dens and lodges, isthmuses, mouths of permanent streams, or any object that protrudes from the water. There have also been some reports of river otters attacking and even drowning dogs.  Females may caterwaul during or shortly after mating. , Mammals are rarely consumed by North American river otters, and are not a major dietary component. North American river otters also may use hollow trees or logs, undercut banks, rock formations, backwater sloughs, and flood debris. the river otter is opportunistic …  The most common amphibians recognized were frogs (Rana and Hyla). Edit our stories only to reflect references to time (e.g. It is not uncommon for anglers to have to fight river otters for their bait. The otters have fur when they are born, but are otherwise helpless. Sometimes they eat aquatic plants. Resolution of such conflicts will usually require removal and/or relocation of nuisance otters.  North American river otters characteristically approach within a few feet of a boat or a person on shore because they're near-sighted, a consequence of vision adapted for underwater sight. River otters can be considered opportunistic aquatic piscivorous carnivores, although they consume other animal products other animal material including: crustaceans, crayfish, freshwater mussles, amphibians, birds, mammals and a variety of fish species (Sucker fish, Carp, Minnows, Pike, Sunfish, Catfish, Perches, Bass), based on the work by Stearn & Serfass (2010).  Other prey consumed by North American river otters includes fruits, reptiles, amphibians, birds (most especially moulting ducks which render the birds flightless and thus makes them easier to capture), aquatic insects, small mammals, and mollusks.  A study conducted on North American river otters in a southwestern Arkansas swamp identified a correlation between crayfish consumption, fish consumption, and water levels. Foot falls during walking and running follow the sequence of left limb, right limb, right limb, left limb. Since their reintroduction to Kentucky in the early 90s, they have recovered to the point that a trapping season was started in 2006, and the species is now found in all major waterways. , The North American river otter has few natural predators when in water. The North American river otters are carnivores, they eat mainly aquatic animals such as amphibians, turtles, fish, crayfish, crabs, and other species of invertebrates. , Communication among North American river otters is accomplished mainly by olfactory and auditory signals.  The earliest known fossil of Lontra canadensis, found in the US Midwest, is from the Irvingtonian stage (1,800,000 to 300,000 years ago). The cubs will remain with the parents through the first winter, but separate the next spring. At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, they eat a prepare… North American river otters are known for their playful swimming, but they are also an important species for helping scientists understand the health of river systems. The species name was Lutra canadensis. Water quality and development inhibit recovery of populations in some areas.  Each otter pup weighs approximately five ounces. The maximum weight and length of both sexes are attained at three to four years of age. North American river otters are known for their playful swimming, but they are also an important species for helping scientists understand the health of river systems. In all habitats, their basic social group is the family, consisting of an adult female and her progeny.  Otters are known to take larger fish on land to eat, whereas smaller fish are consumed in the water. However, it is positively associated with the number of beaver flowages, watershed length, and average shoreline diversity.  Other documented common names are American otter, Canada otter, Canadian otter, fish otter, land otter, nearctic river otter, and Prince of Wales otter. Normally, during a winter here at John Ball Zoo, our North American river otters can still be on exhibit in the cold and snow. Fur of senescent river otters may become white-tipped, and rare albinos may occur. In Idaho, North American river otters and beavers were recorded in the same beaver lodge simultaneously on three separate occasions. Otters live in dens along the shorelines and are not too bashful to take over burrows that were built by groundhogs, beavers or muskrats.  Several North American river otters may even cooperate while fishing.  Mammals preyed upon by North American river otters are characteristically small or are a type species found in riparian zones. In coastal areas, males may remain gregarious even during the estrous period of females. During walking, the limbs are moved in a plane parallel to the long axis of the body.  Den sites include burrows dug by woodchucks (Marmota monax), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), nutria (Myocastor coypus), or beaver and muskrat lodges.  Fish species frequently found in the diets of the North American river otters include: Catostomidae, which consists of suckers (Catostomus spp.)  Most aquatic invertebrates preyed upon by the otters are from the families Odonata (dragonfly nymphs), Plecoptera (stonefly nymphs), and Coleoptera (adult beetles).  North American river otter harvests correlate positively with the North American beaver harvests and with the average beaver pelt price from the preceding year. ), and other game fish during spawning.  However, large populations never occurred in areas of Southern California such as the chaparral and oak woodlands and Mojave Desert seasonal waterway regions, or in the xeric shrubland regions in New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, and Colorado. North American river otter (or common otter): Found in and along North America’s waterways and coasts, these otters weigh between 11 and 31 lbs (5-14kg). They host numerous endoparasites, such as nematodes, cestodes, trematodes, the sporozoan Isopora, and acanthocephalans. Ground beef makes up the majority of the diet, but they also receive three different types of fish (herring, capelin, smelt), different types of kibble, hardboiled eggs, mice, vegetables, clams, crayfish and live fish. Adult males also commonly establish enduring social groupings, some documented to comprise as many as 17 individuals. Small fish are eaten at the surface, but larger ones are taken to the shore to be consumed. The North American river otter is found throughout North America, inhabiting inland waterways and coastal areas in Canada, the Pacific Northwest, the Atlantic states, and the Gulf of Mexico. There is no significant threat today from commercial harvesting, but illegal hunting can affect local populations. North American river otters get their boundless energy from their very high metabolism, which also requires that they eat a great deal during the day. , Historical records indicate North American river otters were once populous throughout most major drainages in the continental United States and Canada prior to European settlement. Birds and birds’ eggs, as well as small terrestrial mammals may also be eaten. Mothers will catch and release prey to teach their young how to forage and to catch food items. They remain active in winter, using ice holes to surface and breathe. These otters have all webbed feet that allow them to be active, playful swimmers!  A 1994 river otter study reported findings of beaver remains in 27 of 1,191 scats analyzed. Female estrus lasts about a month per year, and true gestation lasts 61–63 days. 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