It is about 3.5 to 4.5 feet long, including the tail. The cylindrical tail makes up approximately one-third of its body length, and is very powerful. The otter's eel-like movements create a strong momentum as they move through water.
River otters are very social, playful and agile animals.
The river otter is the only aquatic carnivore in the Rocky Mountains besides the mink. Webbed toes Long, compressed tails Before the twentieth century, river otters probably inhabited many of the major streams in Colorado. By the early part of the twentieth century, the river otter population was nearly eliminated from Colorado due to trapping, water pollution, and deliberate controlling of streamflows. However, the population rebounded by the 1970s due to conservation efforts. Fish Young muskrats and beavers Riverbank dens that are abandoned by beavers often become the home of river otters.