Return of the River Otter

The river otter, Lutra canadensis , is an elusive aquatic mammal.  It belongs to the Mustelidae or weasel family and is related to the sea otter, mink, badger, wolverine and 3 smaller species of PA weasels.  The river otter stands out from the other members of the mustelid family due to its playful temperament.  Its play includes: shooting down slick muddy or snowy banks into creeks, playing with food, sticks and stones, and wrestling each other.  On snow, they take three or four running steps, launch themselves and slide on their bellies.  While playing, they make a variety of sounds: chirps, chattering noises and low chuckling and rumblings.  A scream is the danger call.  Although the river otter is a joy to watch, they are mainly nocturnal. Occasionally they do venture out during the day.  Few outdoor people are lucky enough to see otters in the wild, but those who do rarely forget the experience.

Otters are fast, graceful swimmers, obtaining most of their food from the water and, although they were once thought to compete with local fishermen, it has been discovered that up to 90% of their spring time diet consists of crayfish.  Other foods are some fish, turtles, frogs, snails, mussels (an otter crunches the shells with its teeth), crayfish, snakes and snake eggs, worms, insects, aquatic plants, roots and, on occasion, muskrats.

The high price of river otter pelts once provided a great incentive for trappers. But, due to the otter's declining numbers, trapping has been restricted in many states.  In Pennsylvania, the species has been protected since 1952, with no hunting or trapping allowed; however, because the river otter is secretive and nocturnal, it's hard to estimate the current population.  Many of the state's otters can now be found in our northeastern counties, but it is increasing in the northwest as well.

The PA Game Commission, Wild Resource Conservation Fund, Pennsylvania State University and other partners have funded otter restocking efforts in the state since the early 1980s.  Up to 50 Otters have been released along a 75-mile stretch of the Allegheny River.  In Forest County, otters were released into Tionesta Creek and have now increased their population to the point that they have also spread out into the Allegheny River. Efforts toward cleaning up Pennsylvania's rivers, lakes and streams has restored a cleaner environment.  This essential quality, coupled with the river otter reintroduction program, has allowed a return of one of our most amusing residents to its natural habitat.

Today's photo of two river otters in the Allegheny River, was taken in southern Venango County not far from
where Mill Creek empties into the Allegheny River (upriver from Emlenton) by John Karian.

Resource: http://forestcounty.com/ottertext.htm .

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