North American River Otter Lontra canadensis

The North American River Otter, known in North America as the Common Otter, is one of the largest otters, growing up to 1.5 metres long. It lives in rivers, inland waterways and some coastal stretches of USA and Canada. It is at home on land or water, living in burrows on banks.

The shape is aerodynamic with short ears low on the head and with webbed feet for swimming. As elsewhere, numbers have declined substantially as a result of human activity, especially river pollution.