Lontra canadensis

ON EXHIBIT:  Cove Forest in River Journey

FUN FACTS
Otters use special flaps to close off their nostrils and ears when underwater. They may remain submerged for up to eight minutes on one breath. Otters are well-designed for swimming and living in cold mountain streams. A member of the weasel family, it has an elongated body, short legs, webbed feet and a long stout tail. Out of the water it walks with an awkward humpbacked gait, sometimes belly-sliding down muddy or snow-covered hills. On the surface of the water it dog paddles, but underwater the otter swims with its entire body, pushing with its webbed feet and steering with its long tail. Its thick, sleek coat, which keeps it dry and warm, is made up of two types of hair. The longer outer hairs, called guard hairs, are water repellent. River otters make use of dens created by other animals, including beavers, and always give birth to their young between February and April. 

CONSERVATION
North American river otters are protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendix II. Due to reintroduction and other conservation programs, populations have grown or become re-established in areas of their natural range.