American River Otter North Carolina Wildlife Profiles American River Otter

• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: American River; Canada; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.432.8204; http://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Learning/documents/Profiles/AmRiverOtter.pdf

Seems to delight in sliding. The American river otter is a graceful and beautiful addition to many North Carolina rivers. Sighting one can be an exciting occasion for boaters, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts because of the creature’s secretive nature and relative rarity in some waters. The animal slides down mud and snow seemingly for the sheer delight of it. Otters are found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. There are seven recognized subspecies of the American river otter. History and Status River otters were once one of the most widely distributed mammals in the United States and Canada. However, as early as the 1500s, European settlers began trapping otters and exporting their pelts as part of the fur trade. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, otters had disappeared from much of their historic range. The decline was caused by over-trapping, but in the 20th century especially, wetland drainage and water pollution added to the pressures on otters.