According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the river otter (Lontra canadensis) is the most elusive aquatic mammal in Pennsylvania. It belongs to the mustelid or weasel family.
At our homestead we are fortunate to have one of these critters living at our pond. We call him Fred (at the homestead). He entertains us daily. We think Fred is a male because of his size, but we aren’t really certain. According to the Pa Game Commission, a mature male otter weighs between 10 and 25 pounds and is 30 to 40 inches in length plus a 12 to 15 inch tail. Females are about 25 percent smaller. We estimate Fred to be at least four feet in length from head to tail tip.
Otters eat fish, frogs, turtles, snails, snakes, snake eggs, worms, insects, aquatic plants, roots, birds and small mammals, all of which we have an ample supply at the homestead.
Otters have good hearing and superb eyesight below water. Their eyesight out of the water is average. Their sense of smell is also good.
The otter is a fast swimmer at up to 7 miles per hour, and they can stay under water up to four minutes.
Otters like to live in dens at the edges of lakes, rivers and streams. Fred is no exception and has made a house directly across the pond from our house. We often enjoy breakfast together (us on our porch deck and Fred on his floating log near his den).
Otters make noises including chirps, chitterings, chuckles, and grumblings. They also scream, but this is a danger call. We often hear Fred making “happy” sounds as he enjoys his fish tacos (minus the shells, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions and hot sauce). Okay, so really he’s just eating fish. (ha ha).
Here’s something odd about our otter. According to multiple sources about otters, we learned that they are mainly nocturnal animals. However, Fred seems to like the day time. We see him just about every day. The other thing we have noticed is he is a fair weather otter. If it is bitterly cold or stormy, we rarely see him. However, on nice days, he swims the pond.
The game commission reports a wild otter’s life span is 15 years and those in captivity live up to 25 years. This is such good news for us as we hope to see Fred for a long time and we’ll continue sharing more information on our channel.
-Bren and Chuck at Pioneer Mountain Homestead
Here’s a link to the PA Game Commission’s website about river otters: https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Education/WildlifeNotesIndex/Pages/RiverOtter.aspx
Make it a Great Day!
We are full time homesteaders at Pioneer Mountain Homestead in the Appalachian Mountains of south-central Pennsylvania. We have a sawmill, produce garden, honeybees, layer hens, laying ducks, pigs, and goats. Additionally, we provide boat and camper storage to nearby visitors of Raystown Lake and sell firewood and lumber in south central Pennsylvania.
