Probably the funnest animals to watch along the Trinity River are river otters. They are playful, curious, gregarious, and not as shy as a lot of other mammals. They might swim along a raft for a rapid or two. One might spot a mink in or along the river. They are smaller than otters and swim with their bodies flat on the water.
Otters undulate more when they swim and often just poke their heads out of the water.
Smaller still are Long and Short-Tailed Weasels which can be seen along the banks. The larger Fischers generally stay in the woody uplands. Foxes, Racoons, Skunks, Squirrels, Chipmunks, Ring Tailed Cats, and Opossums and other small mammals are seen regularly. Larger mammals include Black Bear, and the elusive Mountain Lion and Lynx. Floating along quiet stretches of the river one may see the Western Pond Turtle sunning itself on a log or rock.