Meet the North American river otter. These semi-aquatic members of the Mustelid (weasel) family are geared up for Mount Rainier’s chilly waters. From thick water-repellent fur to ears and nostrils that close, they’re built to spend hours swimming and hunting in glacier-fed rivers and ponds. River otters have short legs, webbed feet, a long, narrow body, and flattened head. They have vibrissae, or sensory hairs, on their snouts that sense turbulence and help them locate prey. A strong tail helps

Farm Pond Otters The river otter is an opportunistic carnivore that is among the top aquatic predators in North America. Because of their ferocity and hunting prowess they can negatively impact fish populations quickly. Properly managed natural habitat such as rivers, streams and wetlands can absorb otter predation better than stocked/managed ponds. The reason is otters can consume 2 – 3 pounds of fish daily and may kill four times more than they eat playing with them and often target larger bas