River Otter
The North American River otter lives in rivers, lakes, and wetlands all over New England. Otters make tunnels and dens alongside the water, allowing them to come and go from the water directly. They are generally carnivorous, eating fish, amphibians, and birds, but will eat aquatic plants. They use their sensitive whiskers to help feel out prey, since otters can't use their good senses of smell or hearing underwater.
River otters are very agile swimmers; they have long, smooth bodies, waterproof fur, and webbed feet. They also can close their nose and ears to keep water out. Young otters must learn to do this, and how to swim, from their mothers' example. Once they get the hang of it, otters are capable of holding their breath for up to 8 minutes.
Otters are often described as playful. 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 young otters.
Slydell and Ariel
Slydell, our male otter, was born in February of 2007. He was named for Slydell, Louisiana, his hometown. Slydell was hand-raised by Ecotarium wildlife staff; he was taught how to swim just like young otters in the wild are by their mothers.Ariel, at first known only as little girl, was born in December of 2008. A naming contest for her was held in 2009, and the name Ariel won. Like Slydell, her male companion, she was named after her hometown, Lake Ariel Pennsylvania. Close to 800 people submitted their name suggestions. We had names submitted from people of all ages- from 1 to 81! And from people all along the East coast- from Vermont to Florida!
It is no surprise that our Southern guy gets along so well with our Northern gal. They were introduced in the winter of 2009, they went through a proper courtship that spring, and now they are inseparable.
They love any toy they can push around, like balls and gourds. They are especially fond of otter popsicles (ice blocks with fruit or fish), since they float and are delicious! Ariel has a particular interest in plants; she is a "creative gardener", says the staff in reference to her habit of digging up plants and spreading them about the enclosure.
Our river otters are located near the entrance, along the pond-meadow path.
A Name for Our Little Girl
One of the lucky winners that chose the name Ariel!
We had such a thoughtful and diverse set of names from which to choose. There were those that submitted names based on our "Little Girl's" personality or her physical traits. Some suggested names in another language, while others offered names to honor a particular family member. Many of the names had a special meaning or sounded like a counterpart to Slydell and all of the names were much appreciated. Thank you to everyone who entered a submission, thanks to the Telegram and Gazette for their generous media sponsorship and to the naming committee for choosing such a perfect name for our precious Ariel.