Page 23 - Southern Exposure - December '23

Southern Exposure, Page 23

northern notes

“Otterly” Amazing Otters

By Katie Roundtree, Director of Finance and Administration, Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District

River otters are mainly Active mainly They can be feisty and attack if threatened. River otters can
found in freshwater ponds, at night, otters are occasionally create a nuisance by eating fish in hatcheries and
streams, canals, and marshes excellent hunters. stocked ponds or digging dens in pond banks. Keep stocked
everywhere in Florida, Their diet consists ponds covered or fenced to prevent otters from entering
except the Keys. These primarily of fish, ponds.
charismatic mammals are a amphibians, insects Enjoy these native animals from afar. They are fun to
member of the weasel family and crustaceans. watch and known for their antics in and around the water.
and are comfortable both in Their powerful teeth However, please do not approach them or try to pet them.
and out of the water. Otters and jaws are made They are far more likely to avoid humans than confront them.
grow to about 40 inches, for catching and Otters are apex predators and are wild creatures – cute but
weighing between 10 to 30 gripping onto slippery certainly not cuddly.
pounds. They have short fish. An otter’s bite is NPDES tip: Please pick up after your pet. When pet
legs, elongated bodies, webbed feet and a strong, flattened approximately 615 waste is washed into lakes or canals the waste decays, using
tail, which acts like a rudder in the water. Their nostrils and pounds per square inch compared to the average person’s up oxygen and sometimes releasing ammonia. Low oxygen
ears close to keep water out, and waterproof fur keeps them bite force of around 162 pounds per square inch. Their bite levels and ammonia combined with warm temperatures can
warm. Otters have the densest coat of any animal – as many is comparable to a German Shepherd’s bite! River otters can kill fish and disrupt the natural food chain. Pet waste also
as a million hairs per square inch in places. Because of this, easily chew through the tough skin of armored catfish found contains nutrients that encourage weed and algae growth.
otters were once hunted to near extinction for their fur. Their in our area and eat the flesh underneath. Perhaps most importantly, pet waste carries diseases which
colors range from light brown to dark, rich brown. They As cute as they are, otters are wild animals and should be make water unsafe.
are strong swimmers and can swim about 6 to 8 miles per left alone. Please do not feed them and give them their space.
hour, holding their breath for up to eight minutes. On land,
however, they can run up to 15 miles per hour.
Otters spend much time on land, often traveling
considerable distances between waterways. Most otters have
at least one permanent burrow (den) by water. The burrow’s
main entrance may be underwater. It then slopes upward to
a nest chamber above the high-water level. The burrows are
built in the bank of a water body, often under tree roots. They
dig their own burrow or repurpose an abandoned beaver den.
Otters give birth in early spring to anywhere from one to
five babies. Baby otters, called pups or kits, stay with their
mothers until they’re up to a year old or until she has another
litter. Babies learn to swim when they are about 2 months
old when their mother introduces them to the water. Otters
are natural swimmers and learn to swim quickly.

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