What otters are in Canada?

What otters are in Canada?

River otters can be found throughout North America. In Canada, they can be found in every province and territory except Prince Edward Island, where they appear to be extirpated. They are able to live in a variety of different habitats, including rivers, lakes and large creeks.

How many species of otter are there?

Thirteen different species
Forget everything you thought you knew about otter species. Thirteen different species exist around the globe. The U.S. is home to two species: the sea otter and the North American river otter. River otters are much smaller — averaging 10-30 pounds — with a cylindrical body and small head.

What’s the difference between a river otter and a sea otter?

Found in both saltwater and freshwater, a river otter lounges around riverbanks and swims with its belly down, keeping the majority of its body submerged below the water. Sea otters, conversely, are found only in salt water and rarely go on land.

What kind of otters are in BC?

Two species of otters are found in British Columbia (B.C.) waters. While both are found in marine waters, Sea Otters carry out all aspects of life in the marine environment, and River Otters are semi-aquatic.

Is a sea otter a pinniped?

Two Alaska marine mammals are neither pinniped nor cetacean: the polar bear and sea otter. They are both fissipeds, “split-footed” members of the order Carnivora, and are more closely related to terrestrial carnivores, like weasels, than seals or whales.

Are there otters in the Fraser River?

Coyotes, otters and many other small animals seem to use the area often.

Where can you find river otters in Canada?

Pair of North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) on a dock – Haliburton, Ontario. In Canada the otter is scarce, except along the BC coast, where it is abundant and often wrongly identified as a sea otter (Corel Professional Photos). The river otter’s diet is almost entirely fish (artwork by Claire Tremblay).

What kind of animal is the North American river otter?

The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis), also known as the northern river otter or the common otter, is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to the North American continent found in and along its waterways and coasts.

How many species of otters are there in the world?

Otters are members of the Mustelid family which includes badgers, polecats, martens, weasels, stoats and mink. You can find out more about each of the 13 species below and check out their current conservation status in the Red Data List.

How big are river otters when they are full grown?

River otters use their powerful hind feet to help with propulsion and their small, dexterous front feet for paddling through the water. Adult river otters weigh 10 to 33 pounds (4.5 to 15 kilograms) and are about 2.5 to 5 feet (76 to 152 centimeters) in length. Females are roughly one-third the size of males.