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Youth Trapper Camp
Pre-registration
and application requests for the 12th Annual Camp are in progress.
The 3 day, family oriented camp will be held in BeaverCreek Park -
south of Havre, Montana.
MTA Sweepstakes
Ten prizes for the 2012 MTA Sweepstakes are available. A portion of the proceeds funds two $500 scholarships.
River Otter
Order: Carnivora Status: Fur is of
moderate value. Official Montana furbearer managed and
protected by regulated fur harvest seasons. Identifying
Characteristics: Large, weasel-like, torpedo-shaped, aquatic
mammal with a long, round tail. Thickset but streamlined body
supported by short, powerful legs. Long stiff facial whiskers
located behind and below the nose. Small ears, broad snout,
and webbed feet. Body is a rich brown above with a silvery
sheen below. The pelt consists of a dense underfur protected
by longer stiff guard hairs. Total length: 35 to 54 inches.
Weight: 11 to 33 pounds. Habitat: Inhabits
streams, rivers, and lake borders. Riparian vegetation is a
key component of otter habitat. Otters often use bank dens
first created by beavers. Availability of food, water, and
shelter determine the duration and intensity of habitat use. Food Habits: The
otter dies is primarily fish, but it will consume a variety of
aquatic prey.
Similar Species:
Beaver - has a flat, scaly tail. Mink - much smaller, feet
not webbed. River otter are highly skilled swimmers. Rough
fish make up a substantial portion of an otter's diet, although
game fish of medium size are occasionally caught and eaten. Great
travelers, otter circuits may cover 60 or more miles, and take
weeks to complete. This species enjoys play, and otters commonly
play either alone or with others of their kind. Powerful and
streamlined furbearers, otter are recognized as one of the more
intelligent species. Description Males are larger than females. Adult males may
measure 48 inches in length, and weigh up to 25 pounds. Adult
females are usually 4 to 6 inches shorter, and seldom weigh more
than 19 pounds. There are 5 toes on each foot. A web of skin
connects the toes on each foot. Claws are strong and nonretractable.
Otter have 36 teeth, including 4 long and sharp canine teeth.
Valves are present in an otter's nose and ears which close
automatically as the otter submerges. A pair of anal musk glands are present on both
males and females. This musk can be released when the otter is
frightened, but it is not as offensive as the musk of other members
of the mustelid, or weasel, family. Reproduction Delayed implantation occurs, and this varies a
great deal. Implantation of the fertilized eggs may take 7 to 10
months before the free-floating eggs attach themselves to the
uterus walls to complete the 60 to 65 day gestation. Litter sizes
average 2 or 3, with 4 being uncommon. Most otter do not mate until
they are two years old. Abandoned beaver dens are often selected by the
female otter for the natal dens. At times, an otter will use a dry
land den near the water to raise the litter. All young must be
taught to swim. Habits The availability of food, as well as the season,
determines how far the individual otter ranges. During summer
months when food is easily available, otter may stay within a 20
square mile area. during winter conditions, the same otter may
circulate over 60 or more square miles. Circuit times vary as well,
and an otter may complete a summertime circuit in a week as
compared to wintertime travels taking 3 or 4 weeks. Otter commonly travel by swimming and loping
along shorelines, but they do not hesitate to take off overland to
reach a distant steam or pond. These overland trails may be very
distinct when otter populations are high. otter certainly enjoy sliding on mud or snow.
Under favorable conditions, they might bound 3 or 4 times and then
slide for yards before continuing to bound and slide some more. Mud
slides down steep banks into the water are commonly used in many
northern areas as the otter or family of otter take turns climbing
the bank to slide down the slide into the water head first. Otter have a high metabolic rate, and food
passes through the entire digestive system in about an hour. Small
fishes are eaten whole. Often an otter will eat a fish while
floating in the water on its back, holding the fish much like a
person eating corn on the cob. After eating, otter commonly vomit
up an abundance of fish scales and bones. This prevents a large
number of valueless scales from passing through the entire
digestive system. The elongated body, webbed feet and powerful
tapered tail allow the otter to be very quick in the water, and
they can swim at least 1/2 mile while submerged. When an otter
chooses to swim quickly, it undulates its entire body up and down
in a ship-like fashion with their front legs held tightly to the
body. Commonly eaten foods include many types of
minnows, sunfish, suckers, perch and scullions in western habitats.
Also eaten are crayfish (claws not eaten), water snakes, frogs, and
aquatic insects. Muskrats are eaten when available, as are mice. Otter are not known to store food. Although an
otter does not kill more food than it will eat, the high rate of
metabolism keeps the furbearer hungry much of the time. Young otter will often stay with their mother
through their first winter season. Oftentimes, the young will
follow the mother in a single file fashion, both on land and in the
water. General Adult otters are rarely killed by other
predators. Lynx and wolves can kill them, and juvenile otter may
also be vulnerable to predation by bobcats and coyotes. Otter are relatively free of parasites due to
infrequent uses of dens, constant traveling habits and little
contact with other otter that are not family members. However, they
are vulnerable to poisons which often show up in fish. Fish killed
by acid rain may poison otter, and lethal amounts of DDT, PCB's,
and mercury have been found in otter. A significant habitat loss of otter has occurred
over much of their historic range. Farming practices in many area
allow muddy and silty water with each rainfall, which discourages
fish production as well as interfering with an otter's ability to
locate food by sight. Otter are considered to be old at 15 years.
Lutra
canadensis
Family: Mustelidae
Life History: Active both day and
night. One of the most aquatic members of the weasel family.
Sociable animal that dens in banks with entrance below water.
Breeds during spring; 9.5 to 10 month gestation; delayed
implantation; litter size of 2 to 3 is most common.
Otter have long, slender bodies with relatively short legs. The
neck is long and muscular, as is the tapered tail. Otter fur is
considered as a short haired fur. Guard hair lengths are about one
inch with under fur lengths of about 3/4 inch. Coloration is
brown, with chocolate colors common in southern states, and darker
colors common in northern states. Otter from all areas are lighter
in color on cheeks, throats and bellies.
Breeding occurs over most of the otter range during March and
April, only a few days after the litter is born. Males leave after
breeding to find other females, but may return 6 to 8 weeks later
to join the family.
Except for the raising of the litter, otter seem to be
constantly on the move from place to place. They do not seem to
defend their territories from other otter, and overlapping of
regular territories do occur often.
Although otter can and do eat trout, they usually help a tout
stream by helping to contain populations of rough fish. When fish
are so abundant as to become stunted, predation certainly allows
more food for the remaining fish. Although otter sometimes kill
muskrats and ducks, the numbers are so small as to be
insignificant. Otter can devastate fish farms. This is most apt to
happen during the spring when a family of otter may be denned for 2
or 3 months.
Special Regulations Note
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STATEWIDE SEASON DATES: November 1 - April 15 of the following year, except state Wildlife Management Areas and specific closures (See SPECIAL REGULATIONS). Season will close in 48 hours upon reaching the trapping district quota or on the season closure date, whichever occurs first.
View current regulations for further information
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