Species Spotlight: River Otter

Don’t let their peaceful faces fool you.

These two river otters could be headed for a full blown tussle. All in the name of play, of course. River otters are quite social and regularly engage in impromptu wrestling matches. Young or old, male or female – any otter will do. And when playtime’s over, it’s time to go back to hunting for food…or napping.

Did you know that a river otter can hold its breath for as long as eight minutes and dive as deep as 60 feet?

These sleek mammals mainly eat fish, and you can see why: Just take a look at their streamlined bodies and long tails. It’s easy to picture them gliding across the water’s surface before plunging quickly to the bottom — holding their breath for as long as eight minutes and diving as deep as 60 feet in search of food.

River otters maintain a natural balance for rivers and other aquatic habitats. They once thrived throughout much of the United States. However, trapping has caused the decline or extinction of many state populations. Fortunately, there are efforts underway to help restore river otters to their former haunts.

Learn more more about river otters.

What Defenders Is Doing

Defenders is a member of New Mexico Friends of River Otters, a coalition working to restore the otter to rivers in New Mexico. As of the spring of 2010, 23 otters had been reintroduced. 

Here’s a video of a reintroduction to the Rio Grande watershed in New Mexico in 2008: