How Do River Otters Protect Themselves?

River otters are members of the weasel family and are found throughout Canada

and the United States. They are very curious, love sliding down embankments and

will play with just about anything they can find, including shells and rocks.



Adult river otters are capable of defending themselves, even against their

main predators: bobcats and coyotes.

  1. Communication

    • River otters connect and communicate among themselves using touch, sound and smell. River otters also mark the boundaries of their territory with a musky odor, by spraying a liquid from the scent glands onto the deposits of their fecal waste matter.

    Eating Habits

    • River otters are very active at dawn and dusk, commonly hunt during the night

      and only kill and eat the amount of food they are going to consume. Along with

      cleaning themselves after eating, they usually eat in the water or along the bank

      of the river, and because they do not hoard food or eat food in their home, this

      helps to keep other animals out of their den.

    Swimming Abilities

    • River otters have a special skin covering on their ears and nose that keeps

      water out, and even though they tend to be nearsighted on land, their eyes have

      special lenses that give them the ability to see underwater. They are strong

      swimmers and are able to hold their breath for up to as much as eight minutes, can

      swim on the water's surface at a speed of 6 miles per hour and can swim underwater at 3 to 4 miles an hour.

    Land Dwellers

    • River otters may like aquatic environments and hunt for the majority of their

      food in water, but two-thirds of their life is spent on land. They can run at a

      speed of about 18 miles per hour, and their outer coat is made up of lengthy, strong hair that protects the underneath layer of fur.

      By inhabiting an abandoned den away from the activity around the river, a river

      otter can further find protection for herself and her offspring, for they never

      build their own home and rarely live right on the river.

    Protective Parenting

    • The fact that river otter pups are born toothless, blind and defenseless, means

      that the river otter mother must protect her pups from all predators. The mother

      river otter will do everything in her power to protect her pups, including putting her own life in danger.