North American River Otter

North American river otters are semiaquatic mammals. Like most predators, they prey upon the most readily accessible species. Fish is a favored food among the otters, but they also consume various amphibians (such as frogs), turtles, and crayfish.

Behavior

River otters characteristically approach within a few feet of a boat or a person on shore because they’re near-sighted, a consequence of vision adapted for underwater sight.

Movement

Otters swim by quadrupedal paddling, forelimb paddling, alternate hind-limb paddling, simultaneous hind-limb paddling, or body and tail dorsoventral undulation. The tail, which is stout and larger in surface area than the limbs, is used for stability while swimming and for short bursts of rapid propulsion. While swimming at the surface, the dorsal portion of the river otter’s head, including nostrils, ears, and eyes, is exposed above water. It must remain in motion to maintain its position at the surface.

Type

Fauna

Scientific Name

Lontra canadensis

Location

The river otter, a member of the subfamily Lutrinae 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. 

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_river_otter