Watch for the playful river
otter to track progress with implementing our new
watershed action plan
for river restoration. Hunted to extinction in 20 states, the river
otter (Lutra canadensis) is still sighted, but not often, on the
Elizabeth. Otter needs match many of the objectives in this plan:
- High metabolism creatures, river otters (Lutra canadensis)
require a diet of plentiful turtles, fish and crabs - reflecting
goals to restore wildlife through improved water quality in the
Elizabeth.
- The habitat for river otters includes wetland grasses for cover
and mud banks for dens, mirroring goals to restore a greener shore.
"Otters seem to disappear from heavily polluted
waterways," says Stephen Living, Watchable Wildlife Biologist, VA
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in Chesapeake. "Smart
development that leaves natural corridors and preserves wetland areas
will benefit this species."
Chesapeake
thirdgraders recommended the river otter as the poster species for
tracking the return to the Elizabeth. Join the fun: Report otter
sightings at the
Otter Spotter website. Download a tracking form at the same website.
Poster Animal: The River Otter (left) - One of two otters that Judi
Overbey spotted playing on her dock on the Lafayette Branch of the
Elizabeth in 2008. “They were just having a ball.†Amazingly, Otters can
stay under water up to 8 minutes.
