Animal Tracks - River Otter (Lutra canadensis)

River otters are playful members of the weasel family who love to frolic in the water. They are common in rivers and are a joy to watch. Otters can remain submerged for several minutes. They have valved ears and noses to keep water out. The fur is warm and thick. Since they spend a significant amount of time in the water, their tracks aren't often found. The best places to look for tracks are muddy river banks. They have five toes on the front feet and five toes on the hind feet.
	Their toes are partially webbed, which helps them swim. Tracks in mud sometimes show this webbing. The claw marks are so close to the toes, they give the toes a characteristic pointed appearance. Otters are well-known for their intelligence and their playful antics. They are excellent fishers, but also will eat small mammals, fish, shellfish, snakes, turtles, birds, eggs, amphibians, and lampreys. They feed primarily on amphibians and will range up to five miles up and down-river each day while hunting.
The tail drag is sometimes visible in an otter trail. Often, their prints are found in groups of four. Otter scat commonly contains fish scales and is often found on prominent landmarks near water, including rocks, stumps, and boat docks. See scat photo below. Otters roll on river banks and leave a musky scent. Dens are dug into banks, with underwater or above ground entrances. Nests are made inside the den out of leaves, sticks, and grass. Otters will often travel overland, far from water. They are active during daylight. Otters have two to three pups in late spring. Adult otters can weigh 30 pounds.

River otter track pattern in river bank sand.


Personal Notes on River Otters
A family of otters lives in the Eel River near the property I caretake. Every time I walk along the river banks, I find otter tracks. They love nothing better than to chase each other out of the water and up the bank, where they roll around and wrestle. For some reason, dogs seem attracted to otter scent. I have walked dogs on the river bar before and the dogs will invariably find the otter scent posts and roll in them. I don’t know what purpose this serves.	Otter tracks from the Eel River, California
Otter swimming in the Eel River	I saw my first otter on an early spring morning along California’s Van Duzen River. No one else was in the campground that morning and the otter seemed unperturbed by the lone human who stood on the opposite bank and watched him hunt. He was quite a sight as he slipped easily in and out of the water in pursuit of prey. I watched and followed along the opposite bank until he disappeared far upriver. They can swim many miles each day. I, on the other hand, was stopped when I ran out of river bar to walk on. The otter is one of my favorite animals. I’m always happy when I find their tracks. I saw a young otter along Bull Creek in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California, not too long ago. It was busy exploring the shoreline and didn't notice my approach. I got to within 25 feet of it before it realized I was there and took off running upstream.
Otter Tracks and Sign
	This track shows slight aging. It had rained very lightly since this track was made.
A nice clear otter print in muddy silt. This is fine soil and leaves detailed tracks. The webbing is somewhat visible in this photo, but is difficult to see.
	The pointed appearance of the toes is due to the claw marks being so close to the toes. The heel pad is well-defined in this photo.
A set of four otter prints. These were found along the bank of the south fork of the Eel River in Humboldt County, California. The otters were seen in the river nearby. It was a family of four otters and they were playing along the opposite shore. This is the first time I have heard otter vocalizations. The pups were making noises at each other as they wrestled. November 10, 2000.
	Otter scat containing the remains of a snake. There are bones and snake parts visible here. This was found on top of a rock along the bank of Bull Creek in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California. October 9, 2000.
A very clear pair of otter tracks in fine mud.
	Otter track cast in dental stone. This material is superior to plaster of Paris because it is more durable and it cleans up better. A plaster cast would have more soil clinging to it. I did not have to scrub this cast. I just washed it under a hose.

	River otter scat containing bones of its prey. This was deposited on top of a rock on the edge of a river. Otters will frequently use tall or prominent objects on the landscape to deposit their scats.
River otter scat on the river's edge. This was a very fresh scat.
	River otter scat in coarse river sand. This scat is fresh. You can see fish scales and bones in it.
River otter scat in coarse river sand. This scat is fresh. This one also contains fish scales and bones.

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