River Otter Prints In Mud

Otter tracks in the mud by the river wear.

River otter prints in mud. Otters share many characteristics with their weasel family relatives. 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. European otter lutra lutra trail on snow and frozen lake at midwinter finland.

Keep in mind that the type of substrate sand mud snow etc will influence the overall track size and shape. European river otter european otter eurasian otter lutra lutra tracks in snow on partly frozen pond germany. Like other mustelids otter feet have 5 toes claws and a c shaped palm pad. Tracks in mud are likely to be more distinctive than tracks in dry sand.

Otter tracks in the mud by the river wear. At the top are the tracks of a raccoon. Otter lutra lutra dropping spraint on rock at edge of lake. 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.

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. Captive close up of a sea otter floating on its back point defiance zoo tacoma washington usa. Running stride is 12 24 300 600 mm. They have five toes on their feet and short claws that give their prints a pointed look.

These are 2 7cm long will contain fish bones and scales be tarry and black. Two otter trails follow the river s edge. Look for tracks on muddy river banks around ponds streams lakes rivers marshes and beaches near fresh water. A very nice set of otter tracks in fine mud.

A pair of older otter tracks in sand near a river. They also have five toes a distinctive sign that it s an otter print. Close up of oriental small clawed otter amblonyx cinereus 5 years old lying in front of white background. The tracks of a group of river otters.

A domestic cat s tracks can be seen in the upper right corner of the photo. Tracks of a river otter in snow with a 6 inch ruler for scale. 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. Sea otter enhydra.

Toes fan out widely but webbing rarely prints except in 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. An otter track is 3 1 4 80 mm wide or more about 4 long and often show only heel pad and claws. Otters frequently come out of the water and run along the river banks like this pair did.