The cubs stay with their mother up until seven months when the family group starts to split up and the newly independent cubs set off on their own. An interesting fact is that the gestation period for the Asian Short Clawed Otter is similar to the British otter but the Canadian River Otter has a gestation period of about 11 months because of delayed implantation. In this process fertilisation and embryo development are separated so that each takes place at the best time of year. Thus mating takes place late in spring or early summer and the embryo becomes implanted in the uterus wall during November or December. In this way the cubs are born in the spring when food is abundant and the weather kinder.
Otters mark their territories by leaving their droppings which are called spraints.
A spraint appears black and tarry and is made up of fish bones, scales, fur and also a scent, which you may notice during your visit. This scent tells other otters the age, sex, and breeding status of the owner of the territory. The spraints are usually left in conspicuous places and are an important part of otter communication.