The Red Cloud chief., 1883-05-04
The Otter.

The otter resembles the wes -el IN form
and motion. but 10 very different from il
IN many other respects. The otter. IN.
Ike the weasel. lives almo-t Nclusiye-
~ IN the wat r and never allows It's
curiosity 10 over ONE its discreet on. 4
fuli-grown otter j. from three and one
hal TO Tour feet in length from the end
OF It's nose 10 III. tip OF is tail, and
W ighs from twelve TO twenty pounds:
Is OF . dark brown color about the head
and sho lders and nearly black further
back with onaliy an individual
that IS I black all over; bat n % ri-ctly
black otter Is very rare. | never have
seen but three. III iur is short. thick
and very fine. and vii wear Ion ,er than
any other fur. An otter can not run
very rapidly CT never walks -. il jumps
Ike a weasel. eN ept that in travelling
on the snow where il is level or a little
descending i drops its fore feet back by
IT, side and slides along on its breast,
prorelling itself by It's hind feet. and I
have seen where IL has slid ten rods at
n time without moving its feet At all.
and the trac looks A. though YOU had
drawn along a SIX inch log They some
times travel long distances overland and
even over ,uite high mountains. but
tn 5 i not common III ir home is IN the
water. and there they re nj home in earn
est. They We exclusively on fish. which
they can catch with per ect ease by
out swimming them. Ii an otter takes
after a fish there is no escape. unless il
can get into so sma ! n place that the
otter can not follow. IL can out swim
even n trout. 1t does not Use its fore
feet in swimming. but drops them ack
the same a il does while sliding on the
snow and propels itself with Is hind
feet. which are wcbbed. Ii prefers
trout To II other fish. and will eat
three or four pounds per day. II is n
very strong. sharp bitten animal, and
viii whip two ordinary ogs- IL is 4
very hardy. long lived animal. often III
tanning the age OF twenty wears IL
breeds once q year.. dropping il, young
three or four a'out the first O; Nav.
and generally selects some small strra "A
that is very secluded and well stocked
with trout. tf all the Wild animals Of
the Adirondacks the otter i the widest.
Ii is very hard TO trap. not only on &C
Of its natural shyness. bu also
from n ~penchant that il has for catch nc
its own food. and consequent, il can
not be baited. In one respect III otter
is YER much like the average bog: il
loves To slide down hill. IL selects some
steep bank tina. has water at Ihc bottom.
and then il roe mp and slides down mt
the water. and so repeats the orerat on
over and over again. apparently Just or
amusement; and trappers knowing If
this fact take advantage of Il and set
their traps about n foot under water at
the bottom of the slide. and thus fire.
quently capture him but il requires the
smartest of trapsto hold one. Ar otter
can remain from ten II fifteen minutes
under water and can swim a Quarter of
a mile without taking breath. and |
rave heard il stated that when the
water is frozen over il would take in a
breath, swim as far as il can. come up
against the ice. let the bubble until
IL becomes reoNygenated. take il IN again
and GO on. n so repeat the operation
rs often as necessary. and cross snv pond
or small lake but for the truth of this |
sta, ement l do not vouch. IL has a NOR
tai fear of any human track. ard | have
known IL To come 10 n mans track in
the snow and cruise a!ong in sight of il
for a mile or mo before it could mus
ter up courage 10 cross. and the least
disturbance about their 81 de VIII drive
them away for a long time. Trappers
generally set their taps from n boat. |
and do not make the least mark on land.
II is not remarkably sharp sighted but
its >ense OF smell is something wonder
full Upon the whole. the otter seems
TO understand the first law of nature
'selt-preservation''-in a marked de-
~. ~ 7Imes.