River Otters of Alaska

River otters are amphibious animals that are related toRiver otters are omnivores and they eat a variety of
the weasel family; sea otters are their cousins, alonginsects, birds, crustaceans, small mammals and plant
with mink and wolverines. A river otter has a strongmatter. When an otter cannot finish eating its prey, it
neck and a jaw that is capable of cracking shells ofwill leave the meal for other animals.
crustaceans plus teeth for ripping meat. An otter has aOtters are social animals that live in groups containing
long narrow body with short legs and webbed hindcombinations of males and females. Some groups can
feet. The otter's tail is also useful; it is powerful and ithave all males, males and females with pups, or
pushes the otter from side to side while swimming.females with pups from their current or previous litter.
The river otter has a soft pelt that it grooms itself;All of the otters are friends with one another and
sometimes another otter helps with the grooming, whilefights never occur within a group. Each otter goes out
in a social group. Its thick undercoat is the bulk of theand finds its own meal, which helps reduce the risk of
fur and it has a thinner guard coat on the outside. Itsfights over food supplies. Both young and older otters
whiskers help sense obstacles while swimming orlike to play with each another by chasing, hiding,
while on land. Hearing and smelling are otters' bestswimming and vocalizing; otters spend half their day
senses and sight is the poorest; they can see a bitplaying and the other half sleeping. They sleep piled up
better while underwater.on each other and once they are all awake, they begin
A river otters weigh up to 40 pounds; however, theirgrooming.
cousin the sea otter can reach over 100 pounds.An otter is an excellent swimmer and diver; it can
Female otters are about a quarter smaller than malesreach speeds up to 10 miles per hour while swimming
and can reach up to 30 pounds. Otters live to be 20on the surface or underwater. An otter will dive
years old both in captivity and in the wild.underwater for food and swim to 60 feet below the
Otters live throughout North America and have thesurface; it can remain there for several minutes. While
ability to hunt in saltwater or freshwater. Many areon land, an otter has a great sprint speed, which
found in Alaska on the mainland, but few on the islands.reaches 20 miles per hour when it runs and slides.
Alaskans do not see them often; however, they leaveWhen an otter sees a human in the wild, it will run for
evidence which lets people know they were around.cover and slide into the water. Humans are the main
Slide marks on riverbanks or sprays of urine help thempredators of otters due to trapping; they only have a
mark their territories and communicate with otherfew enemies in the wild, which are hawks or owls.
otters.