The top side of the habitat is completely open for easy viewing. The landscaping in the habitat consists of man made rocks, trees, stream, and pond. On the bottom side of the otter pond, you can observe the otters swimming through the large glass windows. The River Otter is an aquatic member of a group of animals known as Mustelids. Members of this family are characterized by the presence of strong-smelling anal glands which are used for communication between individuals and sometimes for defense.
Otters are long, muscular, and very streamlined animals, well adapted for their aquatic existence.
They can be found in a variety of freshwater habitats including streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and marshes. They are most active at night but may be encountered any time. The population of river otters has declined in many areas. A reintroduction project to restore river otter populations in the mountains was recently begun by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission . These new populations seem to be fairing well and there is evidence that they have spread far from the original release sites.