Prior to settlement of North America by Europeans, otters were widespread among aquatic habitats throughout most of the continent (Hall 1981). North American River Otters Facts and Photos. Photo of otters poking their heads out of a river. Females retreat to their underground dens and deliver litters of one to six young. power generated by moving water converted to electricity. Terms of Service |  As the river begins to slow down—as in a wetland, at the outside of a bend, or where the river widens, such as at the mouth—these sediments sink and build up to form deltas. Collectively, scientists estimate that all the rivers in the world carry about 3.6 billion metric tons (four billion tons) of salt from land to the ocean each year. Use these classroom resources to help students explore and learn about these places. Rivers that overflow their banks also deposit sediment in the surrounding flood plain. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. A river is a large body of fresh, flowing water. A river is a large, natural stream of flowing water. Washington, DC 20036, National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. community and interactions of living and nonliving things in an area. mouth of a river where the river's current meets the sea's tide. Can River Otter Fight Back Against Coyote?｜National Geographic This semiaquatic mammal has the weight of 11 to 30.9 lb or 5 to 14 kilograms. River otters are in their elements. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Margot Willis, National Geographic Society, Andre Gabrielli, National Geographic Society. National Geographic Headquarters All rights reserved. The water that flows in rivers is fresh, meaning that it contains less than one percent salt. This can occur when there is a large amount of rain, rapid snow or ice melt, a blast of water onto a coastline during a storm, or the failure of manmade infrastructures, such as dams or levees. North American River Otter The playful North American river otter is equally at home in the water and on land. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Soon, she'll send him on his way. She or he will best know the preferred format. 6 TEACHER'S GUIDE Scout and Voyager Vol. To crack open hard-shelled prey, the otters smash them on stone anvils. They generally live along rivers, as their name implies, but they're also found near streams and lakes. She or he will best know the preferred format. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. But did you know these mammals are also top predators? About National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Whether it’s a lake, river, swamp or estuary, otters like a mix of land and water. Sep 30, 2011 - Learn the purpose of the playful otter’s riverside games. Earth Science, Climatology, Geology, Geography. A river is a ribbon-like body of water that flows downhill from the force of gravity. By land and by sea. Today, farmers in the flood plain of California’s Central Valley produce approximately one-third of the vegetables and two-thirds of the fruits and nuts consumed in the United States. Washington, DC 20036, National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. These otters have brown-to-gray fur, and their undersides are a lighter, silvery shade. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Rivers can also form what is called an estuary, where salty seawater mixes with fresh water near the river mouth to form “brackish water.”  The Hudson River in New York, U.S., is an example of an estuary where brackish water extends more than 241 kilometers (150 miles) upstream. North American River Otters Pictures And Facts - National Geographic Posted by Unknown | at 00:31 No comments. It's easier just to steal mums. Fascinated by these otters? "But he still likes to suck his tail and toes like a baby!" Their small heads widen to long necks and shoulders, and they have flattened, well-muscled tails. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. The North American river otter's clawed, webbed feet are useful on land and in the water. Sustainability Policy |  The habitats that freshwater ecosystems provide consist of lakes, rivers, ponds, wetlands, streams, and springs. The Ganges (Ganga) River is a sacred body of water to Hindus that begins high in the Himalaya Mountains and empties out into the Bay of Bengal. Floods are among the most expensive and frequent natural disasters in the United States, and as the impacts of climate change are more acutely felt, floods are expected to worsen. You cannot download interactives. River otters are aquatic mammals. The largest rivers can be thousands of miles long. I recently found out that sea otters fall asleep holding paws and my heart has never been so full. Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society, Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society National Geographic Young Explorer, Scout/Voyager Page 1 Vol. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Of that, only about 1.2 percent can be used as drinking water; the rest is locked up in glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost, or buried deep in the ground. And they’re super-powerful forces of nature, too – carving out deep valleys and gorges, and shaping the land as they flow to the ocean! For fun he likes to chew his Frisbee and climb in and out of his plastic playhouse. Otters place a rock on their chests and smash the shellfish against it until it breaks open to reveal the tasty meat inside. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. There are 13 species in total, ranging from the small-clawed otter to the giant otter. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Sea otters can eat up to 75 mussels per hour. For this reason, some of the most biodiverse habitats on our planet can be found around rivers. Floods are events where water overflows onto land that is typically dry. 19 No. It is also home to many diverse fish, plant, and crustacean species. The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur. From each river’s source, the water meanders through the landscape meeting up with other streams and shaping civilization as we know it. Rivers only hold a small amount of the Earth’s water, but they have always been vital to human life, carrying freshwater to people and animals all over the world. © 1996 - 2021 National Geographic Society. To crack open hard-shelled prey, the otters smash them on stone anvils. Along the way, rivers may pass through wetlands where plants slow down the water and filter out pollutants. Learn how this aquatic mammal is making a comeback from near extinction. Credits. Otters will place the rock on their chests, and repeatedly smash the shellfish against it until it breaks open to reveal the tasty meal inside. Privacy Notice |  River otters are in their element in Yellowstone’s early winter. This source is called a headwater. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. National Geographic Maps Babies, called eaglets, are born light gray then turn brown. Her goal is to ensure you have the tools you need to enhance student understanding and engagement with nonfiction text. Photo Ark Home Female Neotropical River Otter | National Geographic Society Skip to content It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to 1.7 metres (5.6 ft).Atypical of mustelids, the giant otter is a social species, with family groups typically supporting three to eight members. Its diet includes birds, small rodents, frogs, crabs, and fish. The headwater can come from rainfall or snowmelt in mountains, but it can also bubble up from groundwater or form at the edge of a lake or large pond. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. Code of Ethics. Find out about the adaptations that make these animals natural-born swimmers. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. A flowing body of water that is smaller than a river is called a stream, creek, or brook. Also called hydroelectric energy or hydroelectric power. Learn all about them with our fascinating facts about rivers! Rivers are found on every continent and on nearly every kind of land. They … © 1996 - 2021 National Geographic Society. Browse: Home North American River Otters Pictures And Facts - National Geographic. And when he's tired, Charlie crawls into his hammock and lounges tummy-up. Humans use rivers for irrigation in agriculture, for drinking water, for transportation, to produce electricity through hydroelectric dams, and for leisure activities like swimming and boating. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. Apr 10, 2014 - Get to know these charismatic members of the weasel family. People also call it North American river otter. The mammal is found all throughout the waterways and coasts of North America. Sea otters are known for their remarkable ability to use rocks to smash open shellfish to fill their stomachs. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. This water is the lifeline of ecosystems around the world. I am going to offer some of the most interesting and rarely known river otter facts and that includes river otter habitat, diet, reproduction, and behavior. Collectively, scientists estimate that all the rivers in the world carry about 3.6 billion metric tons (four billion tons) of salt from land to the ocean each year. The video above is from the February 2013 iPad edition of National Geographic magazine.. River otters are playful animals. Unregulated trapping and loss or degradation of aquatic habitats through filling of wetlands and development of coal, oil, gas, tanning, timber, and other industries resulted in extirpations or declines in otter populations in many areas (Toweill and Tabor 1982, Melquist and Dronkert 1987). Did you know some dolphins live in rivers? Terms of Service |  The pup is still learning to fish. This endangered species is native to freshwater streams throughout tropical South America, although development is narrowing its habitat to more isolated regions in the Amazon and Pantanal. All rivers have a starting point where water begins its flow. Their dense, short under-fur is overlain by darker, coarse guard hairs that help repel water. Giant river otters check out the scenery in Kapoeri Creek, Suriname. 1145 17th Street NW Photograph by Bates Littlehales, National Geographic. Monitoring the health of rivers, lakes, and streams is important work that is conducted by scientists called limnologists. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. Code of Ethics. In the winter, otters have found the easiest and perhaps most fun way to get around is by sliding. solid material transported and deposited by water, ice, and wind. Most of our drinking water comes from rivers and streams. Their home on the Yellowstone River is freezing up. 6 Educational consultant Stephanie Harvey has helped shape the instructional vision for this Teacher's Guide. Sea Otters Facts and Photos. While river otters mostly live off fish, crayfish and crabs, sea otters have a more interesting method of sustaining themselves. Photograph by Nicole Duplaix. watering land, usually for agriculture, by artificial means. A river can be wide and deep, or shallow enough for a person to wade across. But the fun is coming to an end for this mother and her nine month old pup. The Colorado river flowing through the Grand Canyon. Now Charlie is acting like a normal river otter: He swims and dives in his pool instead of just floating on the surface. Photograph by Bates Littlehales, National Geographic. But it's not frozen yet, so they'll feed here while they can. Otters thrive on land and in the water. 1145 17th Street NW The majority of otters spend most of their time on land. Like most other otter species, giant otters come ashore to give birth. All rights reserved. The surrounding river basin has a population of more than four hundred million people. The biological name is Lontra Canadensis. Using archaeology, a new study… more Sea otters can eat up to 75 mussels per hour. In addition to property damage, floods, on average, kill more people than tornadoes, hurricanes, or lightning strikes in the United States each year. "He's more like a real otter," says trainer Abbie Brewer. salty water, usually a mixture of seawater and freshwater. After a few bumps, they can slide up to 22 feet on the ice. The erosional power of rivers can form geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon. In the wild, they can live to be 35 years old or more. You cannot download interactives. Photo by Andrea Westmoreland. North American river otters, also called Canadian otters, have long, muscular, streamlined bodies with short legs and fully webbed feet bearing non-retractable claws. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Privacy Notice |  Facts about River Otters talk about an animal, which can be found on the coasts or waterways of North America. When they are four to five years old, they develop their normal white heads and tails. The other end of a river is called its mouth, where water empties into a larger body of water, such as a lake or ocean. all the different kinds of living organisms within a given area. Gina Borgia, National Geographic Society Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Otters prefer water bordered by … They can thrive in any water habitat, such as ponds, marshes, lakes, rivers, and estuaries—in cold, warm, or even high-elevation areas—as long as the habitat provides adequate food. River otters eat aquatic animals, which are animals that live in the water, like crabs and catfish. raised edges of land on the side of a river. Sustainability Policy |  Most are small, with short ears and noses, elongated bodies, long tails, and soft, dense fur. 19 No. The largest salamander in North America is elusive and facing threats. National Geographic Headquarters Some rivers flow year-round, while others flow only during certain seasons or when there has been a lot of rain. Common otter is the other name for this animal. However, rivers still carry and distribute important salts and nutrients to support plant and animal life. In Egypt, for example, the Nile River and its adjacent delta helped give rise to the Egyptian empire that built the pyramids. Only about three percent of Earth’s water is freshwater. It is known as the common otter or northern river otter. Rivers can also form what is called an estuary, where salty seawater mixes with fresh water near the river mouth to form “ brackish water.” The giant otter or giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a South American carnivorous mammal. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. The North American river otter occurs in much of Canada and the United States, except for portions of the Southwest, and in Mexico in the Rio Grande and Colorado River delta areas. Each of these uses can affect the health of a river and its surrounding ecosystems. Bald eagles can soar over 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) high, and their great eyesight lets them see fish up to a mile (1.6 kilometers) away. A female neotropical river otter, Lontra longicaudis, at Summit Municipal Park. Freshwater is a precious resource on the Earth's surface. Teach your students about the Earth’s rivers and streams with the resources in this collection. The river otter also called northern river otter belongs to the family of Mustelidae. But he must learn to fend for himself. Nilsson (1980) reviewed the status of otters … An adult North American river otter can weigh between 5.0 and 14 kg (11.0 and 30.9 lb). Here's fair warning: cute doesn't necessarily mean cuddly. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in … Here 's fair warning: cute does n't necessarily mean cuddly, streams, and fish the... Ashore to give birth fair warning: cute does n't necessarily mean cuddly and... Or 5 to 14 kilograms otters are in their element in Yellowstone s! In North America or 5 to 14 kilograms you can not download or save media! And Facts - National Geographic young Explorer, Scout/Voyager page 1 Vol and lakes Yellowstone ’ s water freshwater. 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