River Otter
An amphibious mammal, the River Otter has a streamlined body with a rudder-shaped tail that allows it to swim as well as most fish. They occasionally eat small terrestrial animals such as mice and insects, but they are primarily great catchers of fish.
Although anglers often accuse otters of depleting fish stocks, otters actually prefer the slow moving species of fish that most anglers are not interested in catching.
Among the most playful of animals, River Otters are frequently observed rolling around on the ground, in the water, or in the snow. They are also often seen with their front legs folded back tobogganing down snow covered slopes.
Otter populations have suffered from trapping, habitat loss and from pollutants entering their water systems. Once found throughout the province, otters have been extirpated from southern Saskatchewan.
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