River otters are gregarious animals, and are usually seen in pairs or family groups. River otters are made for water. Their short, strong legs end in webbed toes for better propulsion. Nostrils and ears that close underwater help river otters remain submerged for several minutes. Their dense coat of oily underfur keeps them warm even in near-freezing water.
River otters are predators.
They use their speed and aquatic agility to chase and catch fish, frogs, turtles, crayfish, and other aquatic life. River otters once swam in rivers and streams throughout the Southwest. But in the early 1800s, otter and beaver fur came into fashion for hats. The demand for pelts was so great that by 1840, trappers had nearly exterminated beaver and river otters throughout the whole West. Even if river otters had survived fur trapping, their habitat was seriously degraded by the removal of beaver.