04/17/2026
Happy Fauna Friday!
For this week’s , we will be highlighting the North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)!
“North American river otters, also called Canadian otters, have long, muscular, streamlined bodies with short legs and fully webbed feet bearing non-retractable claws. Their small heads widen to long necks and shoulders, and they have flattened, well-muscled tails. These otters have brown-to-gray fur, and their undersides are a lighter, silvery shade. Their dense, short under-fur is overlain by darker, coarse guard hairs that help repel water.”
“The river otter’s eyes and ears are located high on its head for surface swimming. A third eyelid, or nictitating membrane, protects the eye and allows the otter to see when swimming underwater. The otter’s ears and nostrils close underwater.”
“The tail is highly muscular and comprises up to 40 percent of the otter’s total body length. With the tail’s strong, undulating movement, a river otter propels itself through the water as fast as 8 miles (13 kilometers) per hour and can easily dive to 36 feet (11 meters) or more. River otters use their powerful hind feet to help with propulsion and their small, dexterous front feet for paddling through the water.”
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/north-american-river-otter
This video was taken on Curtis Calcari’s trail cam, and the photo was taken by the TWS Otter Project!
