Tim Spitzack
Editor
The North American river otter is one of nature’s most playful mammals to observe. Watching them slide down a slippery riverbank or slope of snow, twist and turn as they glide effortlessly through the water, or frolic about in tall prairie grasses leads one to believe they don’t have a care in the world. They act as if the world is their oyster.
I’ve spent countless hours over the past two decades traipsing through the U.S. National Park Service’s Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) in the metro area and paddling the river but it wasn’t until late summer 2021 that I got my first glimpse of this happy-go-lucky creature. It was a glorious day in mid-September, with warm sunshine and a cool, gentle breeze. I was kayaking around Lower Grey Cloud Island when I saw movement in the distance. At first, I thought a carp had surfaced, a common occurrence in the area. Then I noticed a brown head weaving through the water. I got excited, thinking it might be a beaver. Then another head appeared, and another. As the scene came into sharp focus, I suddenly realized I was witnessing a family of river otters: five in all. I stopped paddling and drifted along breathlessly, hoping not to disturb them as I enjoyed the show. The otters seemed not to mind my presence as long as I kept my distance. One barked and I snickered and nodded my head to return the greeting. One surfaced with a small fish in its long-whiskered mouth and casually munched away. The others simply swam around, bobbing up and down in an ever-constant circle of activity. Perhaps each was looking for a meal, but if that was the case, they were in no hurry to find it.
The waters around Grey Cloud Island are pocked with other small islands filled with sedges and willows, giving it a very coastal, isolated feel. Large fields of lily pads gently sway with the undulation of the river. The otters were swimming about 50 yards from one patch of lily pads and I watched as they casually made their way toward them. One by one, they slowly disappeared into them and suddenly the show was over. Awestruck by what I had just witnessed, I found I was unable to continue paddling. It wasn’t until I kicked myself for leaving my cellphone (aka camera) in the car that I was able to put my blade in the water. At that point I was filled with regret over not capturing the scene. Now, in retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t. I’m sure the photo wouldn’t have done justice to the memory that remains vivid in my mind.
Metro area otter survey
One hundred years ago, North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) were nearly extinct in the Upper Mississippi River Basin due to trapping, pollution and habitat loss. Improvements in water quality of the Mississippi River over the past 40 years have helped the otter population rebound. The National Park Service monitors otters within the MNRRA – a 72-mile corridor in the Twin Cities – to better understand population numbers and how otters interact with other wildlife and human development. Biologists and a cadre of volunteer naturalists regularly look for otter scat, tracks and other signs along shorelines. The monitoring began in 2009 and today more than 325 observations have been recorded on iNaturalist.org. Remote cameras are also placed throughout MNRRA to monitor otter activity. Photos and video can be found at www.nps.gov/miss/learn/nature/animals.htm. They show otters frolicking with each other, imprints of their tracks, and long smooth grooves that the long-bodied, short-legged mammals make in the mud and snow.
River otters breed in late winter and early spring and give birth to one to three pups. They are born blind and helpless, and it takes about two months until they learn to swim. Otters thrive on aquatic food and habitat. Their short legs, webbed feet and long tail make them strong swimmers, and their thick dark brown fur keeps them warm while swimming in cold water. Their life span is eight to nine years.
If you’re walking along the river this spring, keep an eye out for these delightful critters, or signs of their existence. And if you spot any, be sure to register your finding at iNaturalist.org. The Minnesota Metro Otter Survey is a collaboration between MNRRA and the Minnesota Wildlife Tracking Project.
Fun facts about otters
- They can close their nostrils during long dives and stay underwater for up to eight minutes.
- On land, a river otter can run at speeds of up to 15 mph.
- They grow to 3-4 feet in length and weigh between 11 and 30 pounds. The tail makes up about a third of their total length.
- They make dens in abandoned burrows or empty hollows, with underwater entrances.
- They have a very high metabolism and need to eat frequently, consuming fish, clams, frogs, mice, turtles and aquatic plants.
