July 2022
The Northern river otter (North American river otter) belongs to the weasel family (mustelid) and is equally versatile in the water and on land. It can only be found on the North American continent. This semiaquatic predator can have quite large territories which will be defended against other otter families. River otters feed on a large variety of food from fish and shellfish to birds, reptiles and even small mammals. Due to its thick water repellant fur it was hunted heavily in the last century. Nowadays they are making a very succesful comeback in clean waters and streams. Otters are very social and live in family groups with the adults, the offspring from the last year and the new born pups. They love to play and hunt together mainly at dusk and dawn. This river otter family i saw at the coast of Point Reyes National Seashore. For more pictures of Point Reyes wildlife click here.