| River Otters Making a Comeback in Maryland by Crede Calhoun allearthecotours.com | windrushonline art gallery |
| River otters (Lutra canadensis ) are being introduced back into the rivers, wetlands, and streams of western Maryland. A few wild pairs still live here but most wild otters were trapped out by fur trappers or disappeared through habitat degradation. Otters are being released in the Youghiogheny River and other Garrett County river drainages in an effort to bring them back to our waterways. This is great news!
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| Abby Burk a graduate student at Frostburg has been monitoring wild pairs that live in the Mount Nebo Wildlife Refuge outside Oakland. This breeding population is elusive and hard to spot in the ancient red-spruce bog and rugged area tucked away just outside Oakland. Otters are making a comeback in this area as well as other areas thanks to these re-introduction efforts which brings mostly Otters from New York into western Maryland. Having these intelligent animals back in our waters will add to the character and wild life viewing opportunities in our area.
Otter ready for release in Maryland. |
| Otters have very dense fur and a very soft underfur. The outer coarse guard hairs keeps them dry underwater and traps a layer of air to keep them warm. All otters have long streamlined bodies and short limbs. They have webbed paws are very graceful and excellent swimmers. American otters have sharp claws for catching and holding fish which is there favorite food. They also eat crayfish, and frogs and most otters must eat 15% of their body weight a day. They usually hunt for 3 to 5 hours a day.
River Otters mate for life and form groups called Romps. |
| The Northern River Otter (the kind around here) was once found all over North America but in most places are rare or extinct. The Maryland restoration efforts are important to the efforts of saving this species. Otters are related to weasals, skunks, and badgers. If you want to help protect otters...Go Here.
Otters love to play and in fact a group of Otters is known as a Romp. Otters are favorite display animals for zoos because they are very active and swim and play alot. Here some otter movies. |
| There is a Giant Otter that lives in South America and can grow to 6 feet long! Here's what a giant otter sounds like. They are very rare and endangered.
South American Amazon Giant River Otters and Alligator (above)
At their best, otter social groups can number from 4-8, sometimes up to 20, and consist of a dominant female and her mate, one or more sub-adults, and their most recent young. There are usually about equal numbers of both sexes in the group. The mated pair are the dominant pair, and only they in the group can mate. The alpha female is dominant over everyone else in the group, and is often the one to initiate hunting and resting periods. The alpha male's main duty consists of chasing off intruders, although both sexes are responsible for defending the territory. Other than this, there is no established hierarchy within the group. The alpha pair are bonded very closely together, sleeping in the same den, and will stay very close together while hunting.
All otters in the group have a need to be close to one another, and spend great amounts of time grooming, playing, sleeping and hunting together. All otters in the group share babysitting responsibilities. A river otters tail is 35% of an otters weight. When swimming slowly they paddle with their feet but when they need to go fast their tails take over and they zoom. Baby otters nurse until they are four months old and they are born blind and helpless. River otters live in the stream banks in dens they excavate themselves or from dens abandoned by beavers or other animals. River otters sometimes eat Beaver kits (baby and immature beavers). A typical den has an underwater entrance hole, and a living space above the water. Often times there are air holes and extra exit-entry holes as well.
Otters like to create 'slides' thay they use to access the river. These slides can be found along the river banks and are an indicator of the presence of Otters. The otters love to slide down these slides and splash into the water. Sometimes these slides are 20 to 40 feet long.
They can stay underwater for up to four minutes, after which they must surface to breathe. As they dive, they close their ears and nostrils to keep water out. Otters grab their prey in their mouths, and they like to hold the food with their forepaws while floating on their backs. When the otters catch large fish, they haul them onto shore to dine.
River Otters are the only kind of Otter found in Maryland and they are actually quite common especially in tidewater areas. The main threat to them is human encroachment and habitat destruction from pollution which unfortunately is growing daily. Keep your eyes on the lookout for these returning creatures to Garrett County. You might just spot one. Otter Links Maryland DNR River Otter Page Fact Sheet Chesapeake Bay Program River Otter Page Otter Videos Watch Two Otters get in trouble at home
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