For example mothers and pups are able to recognize the sounds of each other even with many other Otters in the same area. Learn how your comment data is processed. Swimming with river otter in the Chagres River Panama. I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. The scientific name means "otter cat", and in Spanish, the marine otter is also often referred to as gato marino: "marine cat". With the help of donors like you, Ocean Conservancy is developing solutions to save our ocean. Finally, river otters can dive to around 60 feet deep, whereas sea otters, remarkably, can dive to several hundred feet to forage for food. River otters are more petite. River otters range from Florida to Qebec on over to California and Kotzebue Sound. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Three sea otter pups are now in the care of the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward. River otters do not pose a significant threat to property, pets or humans. … The giant otter or giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a South American carnivorous mammal. Therefore, they are very active and can easily chase their pray species in the water. Here’s what I do: Read More about “I think we should work together.”…. On the surface, at first glance, there may not seem like much of a difference between otters and beavers. 5:20. While the females are similarly much smaller than the males at 10-20 pounds, male river otters only reach a maximum size of around 30 pounds. Have I mentioned how much I love otters? Sea otters are twice the size of river otters, and are never far from the ocean. They go wherever the fish are: ponds, lakes, rivers, lagoons, and right into the ocean whenever they want. If you seek to achieve success when trapping river otter, check out the following sets that reduce misses and put more fur in your trap shed. Msg & data rates may apply. There is still hope that one day humans and Otters will be able to live in harmony. We receive no government funding, and depend solely on financial support from our friends. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur. 2). The ears appear large on its small flattened head. Hind foot tracks of otters are bigger than their corresponding front foot tracks, no doubt a helpful adaptation because otters are swimmers. It can be found off the central Californian coast, western Alaska and the Bering Sea. Fish and Wildlife Service in Lacey, Washington, I answer all kinds of wildlife-related questions. Big, black, triangular “teddy bear” nose. Otters have small, rounded ears, and long sensitive whiskers to help them feel the vibrations of their prey. Yay! The Onion once ran a wonderful headline: “Black lab has best day of his life for 862nd day in a row.” You could easily apply that to river otters. Mobile alerts from Ocean Conservancy. However, male sea otters measure 6 feet in length and weigh 80 pounds. In this part of the world, sea otters are found on the west side of Vancouver Island, never here in the Strait of Georgia. Amazing as we are over a mile from the ocean. The differences will become obvious! River Otters with Snow. Please check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription. We were treated to a family of six river otters in the bay just off Second Beach in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. River otters are very messy eaters—but they really appear to love eating. Your email address will not be published. Both otters have their own adorable way of caring for their young and making them feel at home, too. Thanks Don – great blog. Man, they know how to have fun. Avoidance is a very significant factor in river otter social behavior. We work with parks and museums and science centres and aquariums, to help them plan and produce their programs and exhibits. In comparison, river otters can be found in First, sea otters are two to three times the size of river otters — and, when at the water’s surface, they float on their backs, while river otters swim belly down like most animals. We have river otters in front of our place and they are such fun to watch, but why do they have to poop on land? ID Reports Web Extra: (UNCUT) Gov. Use these clues to help you decide: Is it a river otter or a sea otter? The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis), also known as the northern river otter or common otter, is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to the North American continent found in and along its waterways and coasts. They carry rocks and store food in the loose skin under their armpits A UK's first - Sea Otters! Otters and Humans Relationship. These hydrodynamic members of the weasel family are voracious predators. X. Otters are very chatty, so when you are around a large group of them it can sound chaotic. Found in both saltwater and freshwater, a river otter lounges around riverbanks and swims with its belly down, keeping the majority of its body submerged below the water. The video is excellent, too. the diffrence between otters and ground hogs? One thing many people don’t realize is just how much larger sea otters are compared to river otters. Most of you are probably familiar with the cute and fuzzy sea otters of the West Coast of the US, but the river otter of the Eastern seaboard and inland spaces is sleek and fun too. River otters live near rivers and other sources of fresh water. Our organization is not affiliated with any other otter-related research group or community outreach organization. Eventually, four of them swam off down the shore, and a few minutes later, Tom and I saw a bunch of people gathered at the edge of the sea wall, clearly interested in something. Today I saw two large river otters make their way past my house down the rock stairs, across the lawn and disappear into the raging creek at the bottom of our property. On average, river otters have two to three pups per litter with the pups going off on their own after about six months to a year. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to 1.7 metres (5.6 ft).Atypical of mustelids, the giant otter is a social species, with family groups typically supporting three to eight members. When it comes to having pups, one fact that distinguishes sea otters from river otters is the number of pups they have per litter. At least, not yet; they are slowly recovering from being nearly completely wiped out by the marine fur trade in the early colonial period, and if all goes well for them (and it isn’t going all that great at the moment, apparently) we may see them back here in a few years. They even have the adorable habit of floating on their backs, even while they’re eating, and have been known to hold hands with each other while sleeping so they don’t drift apart from their pals! It reminds me a bit of when a friend asked me (when we were living in Edmonton) why there were "seagulls" in the prairies. Sea otters typically give birth to only one pup, and care for their young until they become independent around eight months to one year old. This morning, for example. With the help of donors like you, Ocean Conservancy is developing innovative solutions to save our ocean. Almost never found on land. They figure mom will allow them to see people in May http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-zoo-celebrates-birth-of-otter-pups-1.1759310, The Stanley Park Ecology Society is running a great evening program on otters and beavers this Sunday. Sea Otter. Sea otters are twice the size of river otters, and are never far from the ocean. When it comes to distinguishing between river otters and sea otters…well, what is the difference, anyway? Their tails are short and not as muscular as river otters. They’re even known to wrap their babies in kelp to keep them safe and warm while they’re off hunting, and as the Marine Mammal Center describes, these pups end up bobbing up and down on the surface of the ocean like little corks! Otter spraints are messy smudges with a distinct, not unpleasant smell, and contain bones and fish scale remains. A perfect set of river otters tracks will show the webbing between its toes and the indentations from its nails. I LOVED IT AND SO DID MY 8 yr-old BROTHER!!! Thank you for solving this mystery. However, just because an otter is spotted on the coast does not mean it’s a sea otter. River otters as a whole look quite similar to weasels. The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis), also known as the northern river otter or common otter, is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to the North American continent found in and along its waterways and coasts. Over the past few years however, we have had the exciting chance to view true sea otters near Victoria, as an increase in their population has brought them closer to home. Slides. Otters have five toes and the heel pad tends to be somewhat horseshoe shaped. This webbing is unique to this piscivorous swimming mustelid. Like the other mustelids, river otters have long slender bodies with short legs. Watch sea otters crack open mussels on stone anvils Inside the dark world of captive wildlife tourism She donated her body to science, and now she'll live forever The last little guy of the group was having a heck of a time getting into the culvert and was starting to get pretty stressed about being left behind by his siblings. Factors t… They had just had a very successful fishing trip and were busily devouring a bunch of little flounders or sand dabs. It prefers to dine on fish, but also eats crayfish, and occasionally small mammals and birds. The late great Nyac, a survivor of the Exxon Valdez. The habits and methods of eating differ by species as well. We have been seeing them (or one of them, can’t be sure) on the shore of Seneca Lake, of the Finger Lakes, New York. Big, black, triangular “teddy bear” nose. River otters also have long, muscular tails unlike their sea counterparts. Long, serpentine tail. Otters have more of a curved form in the water, with most of the body and tail riding just beneath the surface. However, we noticed a conundrum that many readers seem to get themselves into. Preferably on one's lawn furniture or open garage? However, otters can be aggressive when necessary. River otters (Lutra canadensis, Fig. A playful family of river otters rolling around in the sand, apparently taking a communal sand bath at Point Reyes National Seashore in California. River otter poop also contains lots of DNA, from what the otters have eaten and from the otters themselves. Charlotte the River Otter Swims at The Swamp. If you look closely at river otters, you’ll notice that they have short, coarse fur made up of two layers: one for keeping them warm, and another ‘waterproof’ one outside of that. 1:39. River Otters and Sea Otters have this in common: their noses and ears do what when they are underwater? C.L. As I filmed, I listened to the people’s reactions: “Oh look! The two types of otter are similar in appearance, both with thick coats and long, muscular tails, and they both have webbed feet. While members of both otter subtypes love to swim, the swimming behaviors they engage in are quite distinct. It rests in burrows, dense shrubbery, under the root system of overturned trees, etc., so look for them along rivers and streams and around lakes and ponds, where there is a lot of forest and shrubby cover. Family of otters play in river during rainstorm in Thailand. My name is Don Enright. The webbing on the otter track left a clear imprint here. Lakiesha Britni. River otters vs. and sea otters belong to the weasel family and may be found living in the same habitat. On the figure below, Enhydra is the sea otter. Tracks are usually at least 2cm wide (wider than your thumbprint). Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. They are in the same subfamily Lutridae. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The two types of otter are similar in appearance, both with thick coats and … The gait of sea otters on land is somewhat clumsy, but river otters can sprint short distances at high speed. River otters tend to be solitary and fairly territorial. They travelled the 125 feet from the back of our property in no time at all and in the 35 years I have lived here in west Vancouver I have never seen them in the creek or on the land. Clawless otters are relatively social. Periodic messages. I’m a compulsive explainer. Otters leave prominently placed spraints on regular territory-marking spots, such as waterside logs and rocks. The photo at left shows where an otter stepped on top of a bobcat track. The oldest recorded otter reached around 12 years of age, but this is exceptional. Some are small river otters, and some are bigger sea otters; 90% of all sea otters live on the coast of Alaska ; They're hungry animals! This video by Tom Reynolds shows sea otters first, then river otters. Sea otters eat up to 30% of their body weight in food every day; Sea Otters are also clever creatures, they'll use rocks to crack open clams. 30:07 . Sea otters: Dark brown with a much lighter head. Otters can close their noses and ears when they are underwater to keep the water out. Look for tracks on muddy river banks around ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, marshes and beaches near fresh water. Otter Madness. Inspired designs on t-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world.