View sanitary district mvsd po box 2757 martinez, ca contact. The first hypothesis we tested was that otter sites differ from non otter sites in habitat features related to primary otter activities. Distribution of river otter within the mississippi. Pdf characterizing habitat preference of eurasian river. They have broad, flattened heads with prominent whiskers, moderately sized eyes and small ears. River otters are known to be social and playful animals within the family group. Changes in diets of river otters in prince william sound, alaska.
The giant river otter is not currently actively hunted extensively because there is no market for the skins, they are hard to find, and the uses for the animal are limited. Consuming a wide variety of prey, otters are keen hunters and normally avoid eating carrion. River otters are considered an important furbearer species. Shooting if nonlethal approaches cannot be employed, shooting with shotgun or smallcaliber rifle can be effective in damage situations that involve only one or two otters. However, many other studies did not report any findings of north american beaver remains in the scat sampled. The main goal of this study was to document the food habits of a newly colonizing population of river otters in the red river of the north and its tributaries in eastern north dakota. In the previous population study of giant river otters in the yavari region the researchers conducted interviews of local people on their attitudes and. For conservation of otters worldwide, research is desperately. A nonharvest based assessment of river otter lontra. Otter scats contained 14 of 18 fish species known to be in the study area.
Methods we surveyed a 30 km stretch of the river for l. Food habits of river otters lontra canadensis in the red. Determination of river otter lontra canadensis distribution and evaluation. Annual survival was 100% as no river otter mortalities were detected during the study oct 2006dec 2009. This study has characterized spraint sites of the smooth coated otter in. Integrate river otter habitat needs into the public lands planning process. Jan 24, 2014 river otters are protected as a state threatened species in south dakota. The river otter is listed as a sensitive species by the usfs throughout region 2. Distances are linear from the starting point, except for. An adult north american river otter can weigh between 5. The river otter shares its river habitat with raccoon and muskrat as well polechla 2000, but it is the presence of beavers that is uniquely helpful for otters lifestyle.
Ohio started a feasibility study and river otter reintroduction program in 1986 mcdonald. The map shows the current river otters are a charismatic species that has benefitted from improvements in habitat quality, establishment of regulations that are strictly enforced by state wildlife agencies and restoration efforts. River otters are just one species of the species of otters found throughout the world, and they live to be about 8 years old in the wild. Otters used primarily unevenaged old river otters lontra canadensis in marinecoastal newfoundland were related to tidal height, with more activity around intermediate tides. Research articles factors determining habitat choice of the. The rivers, streams, ponds, and marshes must be pollutionfree, deeply flowing yearround, and full of the prey that river otters eat. Habitat use and rooverrents of river otters illtra canadensis were studied at kelp bay on baranof island in southeastern alaska from january 1982 to january 1983. Characterizing habitat preference of eurasian river otter lutra lutra. Habitat suitability criteria effectively characterized variations in quantity and quality of river otter habitat within the lwr study area schieler 1995. Pdf food habits of river otter lontra canadensis were quantified by analysis of.
Sign surveys are the most commonly used technique to monitor abundance and distribution of river otter due to. Several states have conducted studies and surveys to determine postrelease survival and movements of river otters. Wildlife research mcgraws center for a new chapter for. Assessment of injury to river otters in prince william sound. Likewise, in oregon, toweill 1974 found that fish occurred in 80% of 103 digestive tracts examined. Jun 16, 2004 map of the otter habitat use study area in the san pedro river of westcentral chihuahua, mexico. Wetlands where beavers live or used to live are the most likely places to find river otters.
Map high quality habitat for otter across the recovery zone. The north american river otter has few natural predators when in water. We used an information theoretic model comparison approach to identify elements of otter habitat that influenced the presence, consistency, and intensity of latrinesite activity. The high level of activity at our cameras tells us that marthas vineyard has an abundant population of coastal river otters and ample resources to sustain these mammals who eat 1015% of their body weight in prey each day otters weigh 15 30 lbs. Crustaceans crayfish, where regionally available, are the.
River otter mothers catch and release prey to help to teach young otters how to forage and catch food items. By damming streams, beaver create the deep, fishrich pools that otters prefer for fishing. Research needs in conservation management of otters iucn otter. Distribution of river otter within the mississippi national. Pdf food habits of the river otter in a boreal ecosystem. The sensitivity of river otter and mink to current land use can be assessed by determining habitat variables that are associated with occupancy by those species. Northern river otter has moderate intrinsic vulnerability to extrinsic stressors in wyoming due to its limited habitat requirements, low fecundity, and large home range size. Reintroductions in all region 2 states except wyoming have reestablished river otters to some of its former range, and otter populations appear to be expanding into additional remaining suitable habitat. The case for river otter restoration in new mexico a report to the river otter working group melissa savage and jon klingel the four corners institute santa fe, new mexico bring back the otter the river otter dives in a deep clear pool in the stream, a long line of bubbles rising to the surface as she expertly chases a shimmering catfish. River otter lontra canadensis best management practices for trapping in the united states 33 river otter. Jul 09, 2020 reports were based on sign left by a river otter n 84, 14. Some studies showed otters habitat preferences on geoje island. The distance to a release site and river flow rate had the strongest impact on the fit of the models. The river otter project was not a planned reintroduction, but was set up as a result of finding an established population from an unknown source.
According to previous studies that analyzed the diet of the otter using a morphological. Focal study area for river otter in new york state. Wayne melquist, with crex consulting, a wildlife research and monitoring company of idaho, has been following the activity of the otter in conjunction with south dakota game fish and parks gfp. Suitable habitat for northern river otter in wyoming may be limited. Habitat and food resources of otters mustelidae in. Otters in cauvery wildlife sanctuary, southern india a study on the. A study on the habitat choice and diet composition of the. Habitat selection and home ranges of river otters in a marine environment. Do river otters conform to habitat suitability assessments. Although the study area offers a very wide range of.
Habitats, movements, and foods of river otters in coastal. River otters are not considered a sensitive species, but are considered uncommon, and are protected from hunting or trapping in california. Mvsd river otter study 1 the river otter ecology project river otter prey species study, mvsd 2017 2018 prepared by stori oates background river otters are important predators on fishes, aquatic birds, and invertebrates, and can therefore have significant influence on the structure of local ecosystems bouley et al. Spatial and behavioral scales of habitat selection and. Coastal areas of alexander bay and clode sound were used for camera data collection and spraint counts, while coastal areas of newman sound and the.
Otters used primarily unevenaged old habitat selection and activity by river otters at latrine sites. Design and implement a robust survey of habitat occupancy by river otter across the focal area to inform contemporary population status. Manage your land to create a mosaic of interconnected habitats and farmland. Streams surveyed to determine river otter distribution and suitability of sites for river otter reintroduction, 201120. Predicting occurrence of river otters by habitat on mount desert island, maine. Fun facts otters have the densest fur of any mammal with up to 850,000 hairs per square inch. The ec habitats directive requires that changes in the conservation status of. The river otter is listed as a sensitive species by the usfs throughout region 2, as state threatened by the states.
Provide information and assistance to private landowners to improve river. Manage river otter populations on public and private land for maximum wildlife benefit. The river otter ecology project roep po box 103 forest knolls, ca 94933 contact. We compared the habitat quality ratings of subunits with river otter use at 112 bridge. A similar river otter study in maryland riverine habitat produced only 173 visits to cameras. In our results, the som classified three different groups of study sites. Otters prefer habitat with jumbles of logs in the water and lush vegetation on the banks. Otters avoided clearcut habitat but used old growth, 60io year old. In ireland, the territory of female otters in mesotrophic rivers i. Graduate program, department of zoology and physiology. Gam was significant p river otter lontra canadensis in. The north american river otter is an aquatichabitat ge. Although a semiaquatic mammal and excellent swimmer capable of making long open water crossings, river otters generally forage in shallow water and do not venture far offshore.
Habitat use and movements of river otters at kelp bay. River otters were captured and transmitters surgically i. T he river otter is missouris largest representative of the weasel family. Missouris river otter missouri department of conservation. Summer home range size and habitat use by river otters in ohio. River otter and mink occupancy dynamics in riparian systems. In the previous population study of giant river otters in the yavari region the researchers conducted interviews of. River otter description, habitat, image, diet, and. In this study, we investigated selection by river otters for latrine sites at multiple spatial and behavioral scales.
Although the species will use several types of aquatic habitats, high altitude montane ponds and streams are. Assessment of injury to river otters in prince william sound, alaska, following the exxon valdez oil spill terrestrial study number 3 final report study history. We surveyed and sampled a 122 km portion of the little wabash river lwr from the confluence of the fox river south to carmi, illinois. Because otters do not make their own dens, they seek shelter in burrows on levees, pond dams or river banks abandoned by beaver, badgers, groundhogs or other animals.
Status of river otter populations across new york state. The diet of otters lutra lutra on the agri river system, one of the. We compared the results from the most recent study of river otters in illinois. Outline for river otter management plan south dakota game, fish. In doing so, one of my objectives was to evaluate the frequency of occurrence of prey items overall and whether there is variation between study areas. Pollution monitors river otter numbers declined due to habitat loss, water pollution, pesticide use, trapping for their luxurious fur and hunting by humans who thought otters were competing with commercial or sport fishing. River otters are primarily nocturnal and are active year round. Wild facts river otters are abundant throughout north carolina and can be harvested during the regulated trapping season. Study objectives 1 design a robust protocol for monitoring habitat occupancy by river otter that is adaptable to implementation as a citizenscience program, 2 link habitat occupancy patterns by river otter to local population size using. We studied the habitat preferences of eurasian river otters lutra lutra using the distribution patterns of the numbers of spraints and sprainting spots of otters, as well as related. The mean number of days that a marked river otter was known to be alive was 470. Some river otters in captivity have lived more than 12. Factors determining habitat choice of the smoothcoated otter, lutra.
The north american river otter is an aquatic habitat generalist. The results of my analyses are consistent with distribution estimates prepared by. Since, the most of the otter habitats in this study are not located within the protected areas. The north american river otter lontra canadensis, also known as the northern river otter or common otter, is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to the north american continent found in and along its waterways and coasts. Otters have also been observed in auburn ravine near ophir and otter scat has been observed in coon creek near garden bar road. The river otter prefers habitat where dense riparian vegetation is present adjacent to waterbodies, relying on the escape and resting cover provided. For restocking purposes, river otters can be caught in live traps, modified no. Terrestrial mammals study number 3 was initiated as part of detailed study plan in 1989 assessment of the effect of the exxon valdez oil spill on river otters in prince william sound and continued through 1992. Simple things you can do to create good habitat for otters leave the root plates of fallen trees otters will use cavities behind these to rest retain mature riverside trees with good root plates to help prevent river bank erosion, maintain shade and create refuges for fish, and to provide natural holt sites. Jul 03, 2019 mvsd river otter study 1 river otter ecology project mvsd river otter study july 2018. Several studies have reported differences in homerange size and movement patterns between sexes of otters and among. The status and distribution of the river otter lontra. Sign surveys were continued throughout the park the following two winters.
Provision of habitat and resting areas for otter through. North american river otter lontra canadensis a technical. The southern river otter lontra provocax is an endangered species. River otters in the central platte river select open water over other habitat types. Map of northern river otter lontra canadensis study sites in bonavista bay, newfoundland, 201220. Examine trends in the river otter population in western new york since 2002. Pdf we studied the habitat preferences of eurasian river otters lutra. Otter home ranges vary considerably as a function of the distribution of available habitat, food, weather severity, topography of the landscape and season.
Diel activity patterns of river otters lontra canadensis in. A 1994 river otter study reported findings of beaver remains in 27 of 1,191 scats analyzed. For the river beaver project in west devon, a male and a female beaver were introduced into a 3ha fenced enclosure in the tamar headwaters in 2011, where their impacts are being studied in detail. Otters thus have a diverse diet, forage in a wide variety of different habitats and. Population estimates for 3 study reaches along the green and new fork rivers 106 km of river ranged from 3544 individuals in 2010. Suitable otter habitat can be recreated by increasing vegetation cover and buffer zones along river channels northern ireland environment agency, n. The objective of this study was to characterize the habitat of l. Research articles factors determining habitat choice of. Assessment of injury to river otters in prince william.
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