Where’s Wildlife · Mammal Field Guide
Lontra canadensis
Pronounced (approx.): LON-truh kan-uh-DEN-sis
A strong swimmer equally at home diving for prey and traveling along a shoreline.
River Otter. Select the image to browse all 7 photographs.
NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
Long, streamlined body
Thick, tapered, furred tail
Broad muzzle with prominent whiskers
Compare views, markings and body shapes in the photographs below.
The River Otter has a long body, short legs, webbed feet and a muscular, tapering tail. Dense brown fur helps insulate it in water. The throat and face can look paler than the back, and long whiskers frame the broad muzzle.
A mink is considerably smaller and more slender, with a less powerful tail. A muskrat has a rounder body and a largely hairless tail. An otter’s rolling, fluid movement can be another clue when it surfaces or runs along a bank.
Otters feed largely on fish, crayfish and other aquatic animals. They use rivers, lakes, marshes and some coastal habitats, moving between feeding and resting places. Cover along the shoreline and suitable den sites are important parts of the habitat.
Otters may be alone or in groups, including a mother with young. The young begin life in a sheltered den and learn to move, swim and forage as they develop. Sliding, chasing and wrestling are familiar parts of otter behavior.
Webbed feet and a muscular tail help propel the body.
Otters and mink belong to the same mammal family.
Play is a conspicuous part of otter behavior.
River Otters are native to North America. Their present distribution reflects both available habitat and recovery in places where populations had declined. Reported sightings are useful clues but do not map every occupied waterway.
Explore reported sightings on iNaturalist. Observation records are not a complete range map.