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The waterproof pelt of river otters protects them from the cold winters
NPS
River otter track
Scientific Name
Lontra canadensis
Identification
40–54 inches long, 10–30 pounds.
Sleek, cylindrical body; small head; tail nearly one third of the body and tapers to a point; feet webbed; claws short; fur is dark dense brown.
Ears and nostrils close when underwater; whiskers aid in locating prey.
Habitat
Most aquatic member of weasel family; generally found near water.
Eat crayfish and fish; also frogs, turtles, sometimes young muskrats or beavers.
Behavior
Active year-round. Mostly crepuscular but have been seen at all times of the day.
Breed in late March through April; one litter of two young per year. Females and offspring remain together until next litter; may temporarily join other family groups.
Can swim underwater up to 6 miles per hour and for 2–3 minutes at a time.
Not agile or fast on land unless they find snow or ice, then can move rapidly by alternating hops and slides; can reach speeds of 15 miles per hour.
May move long distances between waterbodies.
Resources
Crait, J.R. et al. 2006. Late seasonal breeding of river ot- ters in Yellowstone National Park. American Midland Naturalist 156: 189–192.
Crait, J.R. and M. Ben-David. 2006. River otters in Yellowstone Lake depend on a declining cutthroat trout population. Journal of Mammalogy. 87: 485–494.
