The river otter belongs to the weasel family (mustelids). It is related to the sea otter, mink, wolverine and weasels. It may surprise you to know that they live in much of the Times News region, and the Poconos is one of its favored areas. They are also rather common in the Chesapeake Bay, some of the backwater bay areas of Delaware and Maryland, and even Florida.

Surprisingly they have not really “taken hold” in the north-central region of our state. I believe that area is ready for their expansion though. They were once found in almost all waterways of our state, but in the 1800s and 1900s over-trapping and eventually degradation of our river’s water quality led to their quick decline. I have seen otters in the Lehigh Canal, Beltzville Reservoir, and Wild Creek Reservoir. My sightings though are rather limited due to their mostly nocturnal habits.

They are very playful animals. In winter they will find a snow-covered slope (near water) and repeatedly slide belly first. They also do this on muddy stream banks. They have been observed tossing and playing with sticks, stones and some of their prey.

I have been trying to photograph otters, but when I do find them, they are usually swimming and diving or too distant for any quality pictures. However, R.P., R.T, (right place, right time) I spied an otter grooming himself on the edge of the ice on Wild Creek Reservoir. He paused just enough for me to get a few photos and then slid into the icy water. There was only an area about the size of two-thirds of a football field of open water so I waited for him to emerge again. That didn’t happen.

Doing some researching, I learned that they can remain submerged for over 3 minutes and swim underwater for about ¼ mile. Apparently, they can come up to the water surface just under the ice to find some air pockets to breathe, too. This one found a way to stay hidden from sight until I gave up.

Otters have all of their feet webbed but only use the front feet (doggy paddle-like) to help in swimming. They move their body up and down (unlike a fish, side to side) to actually outmaneuver the fish that they seek. They have very muscular bodies and a rather long tail that helps them “turn on a dime” when chasing their food. They also have two fur layers and a fat layer under the skin to help them stay warm and protected from the chilly water.

Otters have an excellent sense of smell and great underwater vision. However, their eyesight out of the water is not the greatest. For underwater swimming they have valvelike structures to help seal off the nose and ears. The stiff bristles on their face help them sense and find food in murky waters. They choose a river side den to raise two to four young and can live about 15 years. They eat suckers, sunfish, trout, crayfish and even frogs and snakes. If hiking or traveling near local water sources, keep your eyes open for one of Pennsylvania’s really neat mammals. Enjoy …

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: In migration, a Hudsonian godwit flew ___ days without stopping. A. 10, B. 8, C. 4, D. 2.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: True, the first swallows to arrive back in our region are tree swallows.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.