The otter belongs to the weasel family which includes mink, weasels and skunks. The otter's scientific name is Lutra canadensis. Lutra is the Latin for otter and canadensis means belonging to Canada. The river otter was first identified in Canada. Chippewa Indians call it neeg-keek, and Potawatomi Indians named it ku-tet-tahx. The French Canadians call it loutre.
Common names for the otter include northern river otter, Canadian otter, land otter, and fish otter. Michigan residents simply call it otter.
What Do Otters Look Like?
The otter is a cylinder-shaped animal. The otter's neck is nearly the same diameter as its body. Its head is broad and flatten with eyes placed near the top which allows the otter to see while swimming. The ears are small and rounded. The whiskers are long and quickly noticed. Its tail is broad at the base, tapering to the tip and is flattened on the underside.
Like other members of the weasel family, the otter has scent glands located near its anus (opening for depositing body wastes). These glands are used for marking home ranges with scent but are not used for defensive purposes like the skunk does.
The otter's feet are webbed. The foot is fur covered except for the pads of the toes and sole. Both front and back feet have five toes with claws that cannot be retracted (pulled back into a protective sheath).
The otter's fur is dense with a waterproof, oily undercoat and an outer coat of long, stiff guard hairs. The otter's pelage (fur) ranges from dark brown to black on the back and sides. The fur is light brown to silver gray on the stomach and around the lips, cheeks, chin, and throat. Otters shed their fur twice a year with little difference between summer and winter pelage.
The otter is 35 to 55 inches long with the tail representing nearly 1/3 of that total length. Its weight ranges from 10 to 30 pounds with females being about 5% lighter than males.
Adaptations for aquatic life. The otter has a thick layer of fat underneath its fur. This fat provides insulation for swimming in cold waters. It also helps the otter survive cold winters. The otter can close its ears and nostrils when diving. Its body is slender with short legs and webbed feet. Its powerful lungs allow it to swim up to 1/4 mile underwater at speeds up to 6 miles per hour before coming up for air.
