River Otter Prints In Mud

Sea otter enhydra.

River otter prints in mud.

Otter tracks in the mud by the river wear. In other words otter droppings. Otters frequently come out of the water and run along the river banks like this pair did. Tracks in mud are likely to be more distinctive than tracks in dry sand.

River otter trail heading toward the camera and raccoon heading away. Webbing doesn t always show in tracks and a trail drag may be visible in good substrate. Keep in mind that the type of substrate sand mud snow etc will influence the overall track size and shape. They have five toes on their feet and short claws that give their prints a pointed look.

Otter tracks in the mud by the river wear. A pair of older otter tracks in sand near a river. These are 2 7cm long will contain fish bones and scales be tarry and black. A very nice set of otter tracks in fine mud.

River otters can smell concentrations of fish in upstream ponds that drain into small slow moving streams and will follow that smell to its origin even in urban areas. Tracks of a river otter in snow with a 6 inch ruler for scale. At the top are the tracks of a raccoon. European otter lutra lutra trail on snow and frozen lake at midwinter finland.

Two otter trails follow the river s edge. They also have five toes a distinctive sign that it s an otter print. Otter lutra lutra dropping spraint on rock at edge of lake. A domestic cat s tracks can be seen in the upper right corner of the photo.

Like other mustelids otter feet have 5 toes claws and a c shaped palm pad. Running stride is 12 24 300 600 mm. Otter prints can be found at the edge of river banks in gravel sand and mud and on tarmac if they have just left the river. A pair of river otter tracks in wet sand.

River otters usually feed on slow moving fish such as carp mud minnows stickle backs and suckers that are from four to six inches long. Sometimes only 4 toes show in the track and sometimes the substrate the snow sand mud etc is so poor that you can t see the tracks clearly. Look for signs of otter on muddy or snowy river banks where you can find prints and trough from belly sliding into the water. Toes fan out widely but webbing rarely prints except in mud.

The tracks of a group of river otters. Otters share many characteristics with their weasel family relatives. Close up of oriental small clawed otter amblonyx cinereus 5 years old lying in front of white background. An otter track is 3 1 4 80 mm wide or more about 4 long and often show only heel pad and claws.