It lives in a family with the mink, ermine, badger, wolverine, skunk and, marten. If you see a cute, grayish brown figure going 7 miles per hour, it might be a river otter. They make a snorting-like caw noise to frighten predators such as the lynx and other big cats. They live in abandoned beaver dams and muskrat holes. They mainly eat muskrats, shrews, fish, frogs, tadpoles, turtles, insects, ducks, crayfish, and young beavers.
River otters are playful critters.
In mating season, the male leaves musk to mark its territory. The male weighs 18 lbs and is 3 feet long and the female is slighty smaller. If you see a shape moving through the water gracefully, it might be a river otter. If so, it is an otter. The river otter is a rare animal.