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Related: Culture Forums, Support Forumsfrom oregon zoo. mother river otter teaching otter kids how to swim. being what they otter .
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)Brother Buzz
(36,416 posts)River Otters are just larcenous assholes; I was involved in a trout farm years ago, and those jerks would travel three hundred yards over dry land just to steal easy meals in the middle of the night.
elleng
(130,865 posts)in the weasel family (Mustelidae), is equally versatile in the water and on land. It establishes a burrow close to the water's edge in river, lake, swamp, coastal shoreline, tidal flat, or estuary ecosystems. The den typically has many tunnel openings, one of which generally allows the otter to enter and exit the body of water. Female North American river otters give birth in these burrows, producing litters of one to six young.[2]
North American river otters, like most predators, prey upon the most readily accessible species. Fish is a favored food among the otters, but they also consume various amphibians (such as salamanders and frogs[3]), freshwater clams, mussels, snails, small turtles and crayfish. The most common fish consumed are perch, suckers, and catfish.[4] Occasional reports also show the river otter eating other small animals, such as mice, squirrels, birds, and even dogs that they've attacked and drowned.
The range of the North American river otter has been significantly reduced by habitat loss, beginning with the European colonization of the Americas. In some regions, though, their population is controlled to allow the trapping and harvesting of otters for their fur. North American river otters are very susceptible to the effects of environmental pollution, which is a likely factor in the continued decline of their numbers. A number of reintroduction projects have been initiated to help halt the reduction in the overall population.[8]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_river_otter