Otter Day Otter Facts!!
Where do they live? Otters live all over the world! There are many different kinds of otters that live on all the continents except for Australia and Antarctica. One thing common to all otters is that they spend most of their time living, playing, and hunting in the water.
How many kinds of otters are there? There are thirteen species of otters in the world! These include sea otters that live in cold waters along the coast of Alaska, giant otters that live in the rivers in the Amazon rainforest of South America, and clawless otters that live in South Africa.
In New Mexico, we only have one kind of otter—the North American river otter. River otters live all across the United States and Canada. In New Mexico, most river otters live in the Rio Grande.
What do they eat? River otters mostly eat fish; in New Mexico, they also eat crayfish. They catch their prey by being strong swimmers. Otters are the top predators in rivers.
Does anything eat them? Nope, not really! Especially in the water, there are few animals that could catch a river otter. Sometimes young otters are preyed on by bobcats, coyotes, cougars, or foxes. But more people (and their dogs) kill otters than other animals.
How long do they live? River otters live about eight or nine years in the wild. However, in captivity they can live to be 20-25 years old!
How big are they? On average, about three feet long (including tail!), and 30 pounds. That’s only a little smaller than a medium-sized dog! Males and females are the same size.
Do they live in groups or by themselves? River otters are very social! Groups are usually made up of a mama otter and her young.
Fun Fact! Did you know that otters are a member of the weasel family? This means they are cousins to ferrets, weasels, and wolverines. Although they may look like rodents to you, the members of the weasel family are more closely related to dogs and cats.
We have otters in New Mexico? Yes! There are now river otters in New Mexico, after an absence of about 55 years!
Why did river otters disappear from New Mexico? It is thought that over-trapping led to the decline of otters in New Mexico: otters were highly sought-after for their pelts in the late 19th century. People trapping beavers also would often catch otters by mistake, since they both live in the same habitat. In 1953, the last known native river otter in New Mexico was caught in a beaver trap. Habitat changes like pollution, erosion, conversion of riverside land to agriculture, and diversion of water in dams may also have caused problems for otters.
Welcome back, otters! For many years, scientists and concerned citizens from a variety of organizations in New Mexico worked to bring the river otters back. Thanks to their efforts, thirty-three otters were released at Taos Pueblo from 2008-2010. Now, otters live in the rivers of northern New Mexico from the Colorado border to Cochiti Dam.
How many otters are there now? We’re not sure! Otters can be shy and difficult to find, and none of the released otters were fitted with radio collars or other tracking devices. However, there’s good reason to think that otters are doing well in New Mexico: people have reported otter sightings as far south as Cochiti Dam, and last summer, BEMP found river otter pups just south of Taos, the first pups seen in New Mexico for over 60 years!
BEMP and River Otters For the past two summers, BEMP has been surveying river otter populations in northern New Mexico. College interns and volunteers travel to Orilla Verde Recreation Area south of Taos about every two weeks from June to August. We search for live otters by kayak on dawn and dusk surveys, as well as for otter sign (tracks, slides, scat, etc) on foot surveys on the banks of the Rio Grande. We are hoping to make a rough estimate of how many otters live in the northern Rio Grande.