what do these animals eat?
They prefer to feed on crustaceans, especially crayfish more than fish where they are locally and seasonally plentiful.
North American river otter
North American river otters may prefer to feed on crustaceans, especially crayfish ("Cambarus", "Pacifasticus", and others) more than fish where they are locally and seasonally plentiful.
where do river otters live in the winter They travel drastically less during winter. is this creature a mammal, reptile, amphibian, or any other? Mammal how long can this creature live underwater? 4 minutes do they have a special respiratory system or any other metabolic adaptations to survive underwater for so long? The right lung of the North American river otter is larger than the left, having four lobes compared with two for the left. Reduced lobulation of the lungs is presumed to be adaptive for underwater swimming. In addition, the length of the trachea of the North American river otter is intermediate between that of terrestrial carnivores and marine mammals. The mean tracheal length of the North American river otter is , or 23.2% of the body length. A shorter trachea may improve air exchange and increase lung ventilation in diving mammals. how do they communicate? Communication among them is accomplished mainly by olfactory and auditory signals. Scent marking is imperative for intergroup communication. at what age do females start reproducing? Females usually do not reproduce until two years of age. how many pups do they give birth to? Litter size can reach five, but usually ranges from one to three. what is their gestation period? 61–63 days.
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North American river otter [SEP] Crustaceans
North American river otters may prefer to feed on crustaceans, especially crayfish ("Cambarus", "Pacifasticus", and others) more than fish where they are locally and seasonally plentiful. In Georgia, crayfish accounted for two-thirds of the prey in the summer diet, and their remnants were present in 98% of the summer spraint. In the winter, crayfish made up one-third of the North American river otter's diet. A study conducted on North American river otters in a southwestern Arkansas swamp identified a correlation between crayfish consumption, fish consumption, and water levels. During the winter and spring, when the water levels were higher, North American river otters had a greater tendency to prey upon crayfish (73% of scats had crayfish remains) rather than fish.