River Otter

At the EcoTarium

Visit our River Otters in their habitat along the Pond-Meadow Path. Slydell, our male, was born in February 2007 in Slydell, Louisiana. He was hand-raised by the EcoTarium staff – they even taught him how to swim just like a young otter in the wild! Ariel was born in December of 2008 and raised by her otter mother. She was named in 2009 after a naming contest.

The two were introduced in February 2009. For two weeks they were kept near each other so they could see, smell, and hear one another but not touch. On the third week, they had supervised play dates.  By the end of the week they were happily playing together.

About River Otters

The North American River Otter lives in rivers, lakes and wetlands all over New England. Otters make tunnels and dens alongside the water, which allows them to easily come and go from the water. They are mainly carnivorous, eating fish, amphibians and birds, but will also eat aquatic plants. They use their sensitive whiskers to help feel their prey, since its difficult to smell and hear underwater.

River Otters are agile swimmers with long, smooth bodies, waterproof fur and webbed feet. They can close their nose and ears to keep water out and are capable of holding their breath for up to 8 minutes. They are often described as playful, and with good reason. They slide on muddy or icy hills, burrow in the snow and splash around in the water. Otters seem to enjoy playing, and it helps teach important survival skills to their young.