River Otter

NPS Photo/ Neal Herbert

Scientific Name

Lontra canadensis

Identification

• 10-30lbs
• Have a sleek, cylindrical body with a small head
• An otter's tail is nearly one third of its total body length and tapers to a point
• Have dense, dark brown fur

Range and Habitat

As its common name suggests, the North American River Otter is found all throughout North America. As semi-aquatic mammals, they are equally at home in the water and on land. They find ideal habitats in inland waterways, wetlands, and coastal areas.

River otters are native to both South Dakota and Nebraska. However, this species faced severe population declines in the 1800s with habitat loss and unregulated hunting. By the mid-1900s, river otters were thought to be extirpated–meaning they were no longer found in the area. Conservation and species management efforts have worked to reintroduce river otters in tributaries of the Missouri River, and populations have grown. However, seeing a river otter on the Missouri is still a rare sight.

 

NPS Photo/Neal Herbert

Diet

River otters are carnivores and eat mostly aquatic organisms like fish, frogs, crayfish, turtles, insects and some small mammals. Although otters generally forage in water, they are equally at home on land and may travel up to 18 miles to hunt for food.

Fun Facts

• Otters groom themselves with a “towel” made of moss and grasses
• Otters reuse the same spot to go to the bathroom over and over
• When threatened they can produce a shriek that can be heard up to 1.5 miles away.
• The River Otter is the official mascot of the Missouri National Recreational River! Jr. Rangers and visits can get aquainted with Roscoe the River Otter by becoming a Junior Ranger!

 

Learn About More Mammals!