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Loutre de rivièreLoutre de rivière

Mammal

River otter

Lontra canadensis

The only otter species found in Québec!
river otter
Small round ears
Long powerful tail
Short webbed feet
Torpedo-shaped body
Fact sheet
Adaptation
An animal well adapted to aquatic life
river otter
View on back
Adaptation
A torpedo-shaped body, a thick layer of fat under the skin, an impervious pelt, a long powerful tail, short webbed feet and muscles that close my ears and nostrils, how perfect is that to swim along under water? I can even hold my breath for up to seven minutes under water!
Physical appearance
Very useful whiskers
river otter
View on back
Physical appearance
Cool whiskers don’t you think? I use them to inspect the muddy bottoms of rivers and lakes. I catch mostly fish that swim slowly like carp. I eat them in the water or sometimes, if they are too big, I transport them on to the shore.
Food habits
They are carnivores!
river otter on a glacier
View on back
Food habits
Indeed, we eat a lot of fish, but we are carnivores and we like all kinds of meat. We love crayfish, mollusks, frogs, aquatic insects and turtles, among others!
River Otter
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