Published Book or Work by:
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Good medicine – River otter
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| Published by Tampa Bay Newspapers |
| Nov. 2, 2006 |
Spanish moss twisting in the breeze reaching for chilly waters, moorhens calling in
the family for dinner, gators lazing about on cool logs, snakes taking in the
sun’s warmth, kingfisher’s arguing over who belongs in whose territory,
the occasional manatee chomping on greens, and a flash glimpse of a family of
otters frolicking in summer fun.
Native Americans hold much honor for the otter. It is said that persons with otter
“medicine” are kind, gentle, deeply sensitive, spiritual, playful, maybe
a bit moody to even being melancholy at times, but, as well, humanitarians with
childlike curiosity. I seem to be fortunate to have two otter people close in my
life. Can’t help but agree, with a smile, to this description of these two
lovely otter souls.
Fairly common in Florida, the river otter is extraordinarily intelligent and is
one of the few members of the animal kingdom that makes varied, intelligent use of
tools. They are committed to their families longer than most animals in the wild
kingdom. A mate will mourn the death of his or her companion. They love to tease
and play games, sliding down banks and chasing each other.
While almost completely aquatic, river otters are equally at home on both land and
fresh or salt water. Even though they build their dens on land, they must always be
near a source of fresh water where they can often be seen in the wild foraging for
food.
Otters are the only true amphibious members of the weasel family. Otters normally
mate in early spring. In spite of the fact that male otters usually live on their
own, the father does help with the preparation of the den then he leaves or is
evicted by mom just before the pups are born or while the young are still very
small.
The mother takes care of her babies by herself for the next four weeks in her den
that is most often dug into a bank with underwater and exposed entrances. The pups
must be taught how to swim by their mothers. Around this time the father returns to
help with the next four weeks of continued care of the pups that are now nearly
half grown.
River otters have sleek, streamlined bodies, 35 to 51 5/8-inches long, 11 to 30
pounds, rudder-like tails which are fully haired, thick at the base gradually
tapering to a point. The otter’s ears are small and round and the ears and
nostrils are valved to keep out water. Their hearing is well developed to
distinguish a variety of sounds and to aid with communication between each
other.
They have short limbs, webbed feet, large lungs and dense waterproof fur. It is
because of their beautiful, dark brown, durable fur, which is rated 100 percent on
the fur quality scale (all other furs are compared to the fur of the otter), that
excessive trapping has in the past greatly diminished their numbers. There are
numerous, stiff, whitish, whiskers around the nose and snout, and in tufts on the
elbows. These tactile hairs can detect movement even in murky water to enable the
otter in search for prey.
The forefeet are shorter than the hind feet. Most otters have claws, but those
without them use their acute sense of touch and their manual dexterity to find and
seize prey. River otters eat mainly trash fish, shellfish, crayfish, frogs and
small mammals, such as mice, terrestrial invertebrates and water birds.
Otters can be found across Canada and nearly all of the United States from
Newfoundland south to Florida to the Gulf of Mexico. The river otter is
state-listed as endangered in Nebraska, Illinois and Colorado and threatened in
South Dakota. Although sought highly for their fur, habitat destruction and
polluted water are the leading causes for the recent decline in otter
populations.
If you’ve never seen a River otter in the wild take a trip to your local zoo
or the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Follow the guffaws of children and adult
laughter where you will discover River otters happily entertaining the crowd. It is
said that playfulness, as in dolphins and River otters, is a sign of high
intelligence. After observing these charming, captivating animals with their silly
antics you too will be convinced that this must be true. Wishing everyone a little
otter “medicine” into their life … many smiles … back to
nature.
Karen can be reached at back_2nature@hotmail.com.
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