### animal | vertebrate | mammal | otter:

River otter
* All river otters live near streams or other fresh water sources.
* Most river otters have black nose pads.
* Some river otters have glands
  - musk glands
* appear to have well-developed senses of smell and hearing.
* are a distant relative of the weasel family
  - state endangered species in Ohio and are protected
  - top predator and play a key role in the food chain in many riverine environments
  - abundant in the salt marshes of coastal South Carolina and Georgia
* are active all year around
  - year-round, and are most active at night and during crepuscular hours
  - also the comics of the mammal world
  - among the species that have recovered best from the spill
  - considered to be tertiary consumers
  - fascinating animals
  - found in lakes, rivers, estuaries and marshes
  - gregarious animals, and are usually seen in pairs or family groups
  - hunted and trapped for their valuable fur
  - land mammals that inhabit fresh water lakes, rivers, and streams
  - long, streamlined animals with a thick tapered tail and short legs
  - from early evening through early morning
  - one of their closest relatives, and are easily confused with sea otters
  - opportunists, eating a wide variety of food items, but mostly fish
  - playful critters
  - predators
  - primarily carnivorous
  - regular visitors of all the canals and impoundments
  - resident on some islands, and sea otters use the surrounding kelp beds
  - semiaquatic mammals, known for their playful behavior
  - slender with streamlined, serpentine bodies
* are the Southwest's water acrobats
  - kids on the playground of the animal kingdom
* are very playful animals and can very often be seen playing games
  - social, playful and agile animals
  - wary and their hearing and sense of smell are well developed
* can undulate like fish, using their heavy tail as a rudder.
* choose their habitat based on how much food and shelter they can find.
* communicate through a wide range of activities.
* defend their territories by marking, scratching, and occasionally fighting.
* deposit urine and feces at specific sites along the coast, known as latrines.
* drink water.
* eat a variety of fish and shellfish, as well as small land mammals and birds.
* feed mostly on fish and use riverbank burrows or old beaver lodges
  - on amphibians, crustaceans, fish, birds and some land mammals
* have a rich brown fur which is water repellant
  - few predators but sometimes are hunted by alligators, bobcats, and birds of prey
  - smaller, more circular shaped webbed paws because they are adapted to land travel
  - transparent nictitating membranes to protect their eyes while swimming
* hold there breath when going under water.
* inhabit a variety of riparian plant communities.
* is an otter
* live alone or in family groups, which typically consist of females and their young
  - here, and are both marine and terrestrial animals
* live in all types of habitats
  - small family groups when they have a litter of pups
* make many sounds including a whistle for long-range calling
  - their territories more homey by building other facilities
* ply the eddies and backwaters of the river.
* produce a variety of noises.
* rely upon play to learn survival skills such as fighting and hunting.
* require a large amount of space.
* share the limelight with other threatened animals, from sea to shining sea.
* spend most of their time in the water, playing and looking for food.
* take diving ducks from the surf and small schooling fish from the shallows.
* tend to be solitary and fairly territorial.
* use a variety of habitats
  - dens for giving birth and for shelter from weather extremes
  - lots of energy and digest their food very fast, so they eat several times a day
  - the Green River and Refuge wetlands year round
+ North American river otter: Mustelids :: Mammals of North America
  * River otters are a distant relative of the weasel family. North American river otters can reach a length of 3.9 ft and weigh 3 lbs. The river otter's life expectancy is 10 to 15 years in the wild and 25 years in captivity. The main habitat of the river otter are near freshwater rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, swamps, and coastal waters.