Meet the river otter, an adorable member of the weasel family! Amphibious river otters are known for their playful personalities in water and on land. Their short legs, webbed feet and waterproof fur allow them to enjoy swimming and floating, but because they don’t have blubber, they’ll often come ashore to rest, find shelter and travel between bodies of water. They also make their homes in burrows by the shore, which gives them easy access to the water and their favourite foods: frogs, salamanders, clams, mussels and fish.
Sink or swim
Baby river otters start their lives in a den. They’re born in early spring and there are usually between 1-3 pups born in a litter. River otter pups stay with mom for at least a year (or until she has another litter). What does an otter mama spend her days doing? Teaching her babies to swim, of course! As surprising as it might be, river otter pups aren’t born knowing how to swim. Before the pup takes its first lessons at about 10-12 weeks old, the mama otter brings her baby everywhere – usually riding along on her tummy. We weren’t kidding when we said they were adorable!
Although they’re found in a wide range of habitats, from wetlands to rivers to shorelines, these spaces are disappearing. That could mean big trouble for the adorable otters that call them home
Head to the Adoptions Section in the Earth Rangers App or visit the Earth Rangers Shop to get your Adoption Kits and help make a difference today!