Playful, clever and adorable. These are just a few words that can be used to describe North American river otters.
This summer, Aquarium of the Bay is opening a new North American river otter exhibit, which will feature frisky river otters swimming, playing, eating and more. Photo courtesy of Aquarium of the Bay
By Mallory Johnson
Published: June, 2013
Playful, clever and adorable. These are just a few words that can be used to describe North American river otters.
Not to be confused with sea otters, a marine mammal that lives in the sea, river otters are semiaquatic mammals that live in and around, you guessed it, rivers. River otters make themselves at home in burrows near the water’s edge and can easily thrive in river, lake and estuary ecosystems. River otters are top predators in their ecosystems and, while fish are a favorite food of these furry fissipeds, they will also happily gorge on crayfish, amphibians and turtles.
North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) are part of the family Mustelidae, more commonly known as the weasel family. In fact, river otters are more closely related to weasels than they are to sea otters. As with most other mustelids, river otters tend to be nocturnal and are quite active year-round.
River otters love to spend plenty of time in the water and are well equipped for an aquatic life. They are excellent swimmers and can reach up to eight miles per hour in the water, using their massive tail and webbed feet for propulsion. To put that into perspective, that’s nearly twice as fast as Michael Phelps swam in 2008 when he broke the (human) world record. River otters can hold their breath for up to eight minutes, and they can easily close their nostrils and ears while under water as well. Weighing in at approximately 20 pounds on average and measuring from 26-42 inches long, a river otter’s prominent tail makes up about a third of its total body length.
River otters are great at adapting to different environments and are just as comfortable on land as they are in the water. They can easily run and play on land, using their clawed feet for traction. These lively creatures love to play in the snow and among icy and muddy hills, and they can often be seen sliding and tobogganing, wrestling and chasing one another.
Another useful trait of river otters is their water-repellent fur that keeps them dry and warm, which is perfect considering how often they go from the water to the land and back again. River otters have two layers of fur. The outer layer is longer and helps repel water, whereas the inner layer is of a much finer and denser quality, and provides insulation. As a matter of fact, river otters have over 58,000 hairs per square centimeter on their body.
Unfortunately, this adaptation of river otters has also historically made them popular among fur traders. Up until just a century ago, the status of river otters was in bad shape thanks to factors like an active fur trade. Other issues that were affecting river otter populations included water pollution and habitat degradation, as river otters are very sensitive to environmental pollution. Laws made to improve water quality and estuarine habitats have given river otter populations around the country the chance to improve.
If you want to learn more about river otters, you’re in luck.This summer, Aquarium of the Bay is opening a new North American river otter exhibit, which will feature frisky river otters swimming, playing, eating and more. Opening on June 28, guests can learn all about these fascinating, not to mention adorable, animals while seeing them in action. To learn more about the new exhibit, visit www.aquariumofthebay.org.
