North American River Otter

Lontra canadensis

 

Identification

Description: Size: From nose to tail, the North American River Otter is 100 to 153 cm long. The tail alone is 31-46 cm long.

Color: This otter is very dark in color. They have a brown to red back, with lighter cheeks and throat (not demarcated though), and an even lighter belly.

Nose: Diamond shaped, the nostrils are in the lower 1/2 and outer 1/4 of the nose.

Feet: The feet are very strong, with strong claws and webbing.

Hair: Very thick and sleek. The guardhairs are 1.7 to 2 cm long, and the underhairs are 8 to 9 mm long.

Track/Sign: North American river otters scent- and scat- mark their territory.

 

 

Ecology

Habitat: North American River Otters den in banks of rivers, streams, or lakes. They can be found almost everywhere that there is water in North America, including coastal areas

Range/Distribution: Found throughout most of North America, with the exception of a few states where they have not been reintroduced.

Threats: The North American river otter is doing extremely well in most of the United States. The primary threat to these otters is water pollution and habitat degradation. North American River otters are highly adaptable to different types of habitats, but are very sensitive to pollution and changes in water quality. Specific problems are oil spills in coastal areas, which affect them in much the same way it affects sea otters, and acid drainage from coal mines into the waters they inhabit.

Conservation Status: Least Concern

 

 

Food: Fish, mollusks, crustaceans, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects.

 

 

 

Behavior

Life Cycle: North American River Otters breed in March and April. They experience delayed implantation of embryos, so although pregnancy lasts 10-12 months, gestation is actually only 60-63 days. The female will give birth to between 1 and 6 pups (generally 2-4) in late winter or early spring. Pups will open their eyes at about 4 weeks. They leave the holt for the first time at about 2 months, and start learning to swim and are weaned at about 4 months. The mother takes care of the pups entirely for their first six months, after which time the father will also help. Generally, young otters leave their mothers at about a year of age, around the time the next litter is born. They reach sexual maturity at the age of two.

Social: North American River Otters are very social animals. They tend to travel in family groups consisting of a female and her pups, often joining another female who also has pups. North American River Otters do not tend to pair-bond (though sometimes they do), but males will help to raise the pups if given the opportunity. Females are very protective of their pups, and will often not let any other animals near them until they are about three months old. Though males tend to be more solitary than females, otters do not do well alone for long periods of time and will seek out the company of other otters.

Individual: North American river otters are extremely playful, turning almost all regular activities into a game. They often create slides into the water in areas that they visit frequently. River otters have territories ranging from 5 to 48 miles of waterfront, depending on food and shelter availability, disturbance by humans, and other factors. Territory is about 7 for the average female. Males' territories are larger than females', and territories almost always overlap.

 

 

About: About: The North American River Otter is probably the most numerous otter species. Fossils of this species date back to the Pleistocene, and archaeological remains have been found as far back as 200 B.C.

Names:
Spanish: Nutria de Sumatra
French: Loutre de Sumatra
German: HarnasenOtter
Italian:Lontra del naso peloso
Other scientific names:
Lutra canadensis
Barangia sumatrana

Similar species: The North American River Otter is sometimes confused with the Sea Otter ( in some areas along the Pacific coast), and sometimes in fresh water areas with other mammals that spend time in/near waterways such as nutria, muskrats, beaver, etc.

Subspecies:

Lontra canadensis brevipilosus -- California, Oregon

• Lontra canadensis canadensis -- NE and central US to eastern Canada
• Lontra canadensis chimo -- northern Labrador and Quebec
• Lontra canadensis degener -- Newfoundland
• Lontra canadensis evexa -- British Columbia
• Lontra canadensis extera -- Nagai Island
• Lontra canadensis interior -- Upper Mississippi River Valley
• Lontra canadensis kodiacensis -- Kodiak Is
• Lontra canadensis lataxina -- New Jersey to South Carolina
• Lontra canadensis mira -- Alexander Archipelago in Alaska
• Lontra canadensis nexa -- SE. Oregon, S. Idaho, NE. Nevada
• Lontra canadensis optiva -- Montague Is., Hinchinbrook Is., Kenai Peninsula
• Lontra canadensis pacifica -- Oregon, Washington, W. British Columbia, SE. Alaska
• Lontra canadensis periclyzomae -- Queen Charlotte Islands
• Lontra canadensis preblei -- Mackenzie River basin and Hudson Bay area
• Lontra canadensis sonora -- California, SE Nevada, SW New Mexico
• Lontra canadensis texensis -- Lower Mississippi River Valley
• Lontra canadensis vaga -- Florida, S. Georgia
• Lontra canadensis vancouverensis -- Vancouver Is., San Juan Is.
• Lontra canadensis yukonensis -- Bering Sea coast, Yukon

 

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