River Otter
Did You Know?
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Photo: Susan Shafer - Otters groom their fur with a "towel" made of moss or grass.
- In murky water, they can find their prey by sensing vibrations with their whiskers.
- The otter is a swift and agile swimmer, using its muscular tail to make sharp turns and steering with its neck and webbed feet.
What to look for
Size:
3-4' long including the tail which is about one third of the total length. 10-30 lbs.
Color:
Dark shiny brown fur.
Tracks:
3' wide and round in shape. In the winter, look for 6" wide troughs formed when otters slide through the snow into the water.
Scat:
Otters choose a prominent location such as a rock or peninsula of land for their "toilet" and use it over and over. Look for large collections of scat in such areas.
See Tracking Otters for images of otter scat, tracks and other ways to know if an otter is in the area.
Where to look
Otters spend most of their time in the water, so look in, or along the shores of ponds, lakes, rivers and the ocean.
Become a river otter steward. If you see an otter, report it to to DEC. Instructions on reporting an otter sighting.
When to look
Otters are active year-round.
More information about river otters:
Watch a clip on River Otters on DEC TV
River otter history and distribution
The best places to see river otters:
Mongaup Valley Wildlife Management Area
Newcomb Visitor Interpretive Center
Paul Smith's Visitor Interpretive Center
More about River Otter:
- River Otter Restoration - Bureau of Wildlife staff are conducting systematic surveys during late winter to measure the presence or absence of otters in the major drainage of central and western New York.
- Otters in the Hudson River Watershed - The Hudson River Otter Stewardship Program Seeks to Record Otters in the Hudson River Watershed.
- North American River Otter - The North American river otter(Lontra canadensis) is one of 13 species of otter worldwide. Otters are in the mustelid, or weasel family.
- River Otter History in New York State - River Otter history in New York State.
- Otters and Water Pollution - How Water Pollution can Effect Otters and their environment.
- Otter Sightings in the Hudson River Watershed - Locations where stewards have reported seeing otter or otter sign to the Hudson River Otter Stewardship Program since its beginning in 2001.
- Tracking Otters - How to track otter and what signs to look for.
