What Are River Otters Related To?
The North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis) is a common mammal found throughout most of Canada and the United States. This animal not only frequents rivers, but can also be found living next to streams, swamps, lakes and even a saltwater bay or estuary. Worldwide, several species of otters frequent rivers.
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In the Sea
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Along the western coast of North America, in the kelp beds of the Pacific Ocean, lives the sea otter (Enhydra lutris), a unique fur-bearing animal. This mammal is a true otter that has developed a few evolutionary traits, which allow it to spend its whole life in the ocean.
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A Weasel
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Otters and weasels are part of the same family group in the animal kingdom. The Latin name for this group is Mustelidae, but this scientific grouping is often referred to as the weasel family.
More Otters
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Worldwide the otters come in seven genera and thirteen species. Outside the genus, Lontra, which is where you will find the river otters, there are six other genera and nine additional species, including the very unique sea otter.
True Weasels
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The true weasels are a subgroup of the Mustelidae family that are distinguished by short legs, long necks and a body that is long, sleek and very small. They are closely related to the river otters in the animal kingdom.
Other Mustelids
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Generally speaking, the Mustelids are fearless, carnivores, which are characterized by five-toed feet with claws and a very potent anal, scent gland. Overall, they have have long, slender bodies with short necks. Other members of this family include the badger, skunk, mink, wolverine, fisher and marten.
The Distant Beaver
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Although the beaver is often found in the wild alongside the river otter, this aquatic mammal is a rodent and not closely related to the otter.
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Resources
- Photo Credit "Sea otter @ Monterey, California" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: timparkinson (Tim Parkinson) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
