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What is an otter?
River otters are semi-aquatic members of the weasel family. They have long,
torpedo-shaped bodies with short legs, a short snout and small, round ears.
They have light to dark brown fur that can appear almost black when wet, and a
silver-brown underbelly. Otters weigh between 15 and 25 lbs. They are about 3
to 4˝ feet in length from their nose to the tip of their long furry,
cylindrical tail. Their thick, muscular tail tapers toward the tip, and
comprises about one-third of their length, at 12” to 17”.
Several Colorado mammals, including mink, beaver and muskrats, share the same
habitat as river otters and are commonly confused with otters. All have dark
brown fur and can be particularly difficult to distinguish from each other when
they are swimming on the surface, partially submerged, especially when viewed
from a distance. When viewed on land, however, their body shape, weight, size
and tails are all quite distinctive.
Commonly Mistaken for Otters:
Mink:
Mink are semi-aquatic members of the weasel family like their larger cousin
the river otter. They also have long bodies with short legs and small ears, but
their bodies are slim and they have a triangular, flat skull. They also have
dark brown fur, but have white spots on their chin and chest. Mink weigh
between 1˝ and 3˝ lbs., only 10% the weight of otters. They are also smaller
than otters, at about 1 to 2 feet in length from their nose to the tip of their
furry, slender tail, which is less than one half the length of their body. Mink
can be mistaken for young river otters; however otter pups would normally be
accompanied by their mother, who would weigh around 15 lbs.
Beavers:
Beavers are North America’s largest rodent and are quite abundant in
Colorado. They have large, stocky, rotund bodies with short legs, small eyes
and ears, and prominent front teeth. They have dark brown to almost black fur,
with a lighter underbelly. Beavers are heavier than otters, weighing between 30
and 60 lbs. Their head and body are about 3 feet long, and their flat, scaly,
paddle-like tail ranges from 9” to 12” in length, differing significantly in
shape from the otter’s long, tapered tail.
Muskrats:
The muskrat is a semi-aquatic member of the rodent family like their much
larger cousin the beaver. They have a similar body shape to the beaver, with a
stocky, rotund body, short legs, and small eyes and ears. They also have dark
brown fur. Muskrats weigh between 2 and 4 lbs., only about 13% the weight of
otters. They are about 26” in length from their nose to the tip of their long,
narrow tail, which is about 8” to 10” in length. Their tail is black, scaly,
flattened side-to-side, and resembles that of a rat; again, differing
significantly in shape from the otter’s tail.
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Date and time of observation:
Describe exact location of observation: Please include county and nearby
landmarks. List township/range/section or if using GPS
coordinates, please use UTM coordinates and provide
the Datum and Zone, if available.
Describe the otter's physical characteristics:
Please include an estimate of the body length
and approximate weight of the animal.
Describe the otter's activities you observed:
Distance from you to the otters:
Name of water body:
Habitat Description:
Additional Comments:
Did you take photos?
Yes
No
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