North American River Otter

(Lontra canadensis)

Conservation  •  Description  •  Habitat  •  Ecology  •  Distribution  •  Taxonomy

North American River Otter
Photo by Christa Rittberg

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

not listed
N5 - Secure
SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Description

The pelage (fur) is dark brown above, a little lighter below, with a white a grayish or silvery throat.

Size

Total length: 35″ to 48″

Head and body: 26″ to 30″

Tail: 12″ to 17″

Sign

 

Similar Species

American Mink (Neovison vison) is much smaller, no more than 27½″ in length including the tail.

Habitat

Mostly lakes, streams, and ponds, but also swamps and marshes.

Ecology

Behavior

 

Lifespan

8 to 9 years

Life Cycle

 

Food

 

Distribution

Distribution Map

  

Sources

7, 24, 29, 30.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 12/17/2025).

Timm, R. M. 1975. Distribution, natural history, and parasites of mammals of Cook County, Minnesota. Occasional Papers, Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota 14:1–56.

Hazard, Evan B. 1982. The Mammals of Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 280 pp.
12/17/2025  
   
   
     

Occurrence

Common

Taxonomy

Class

Mammalia (Mammals)

Subclass

Theria

Infraclass

Placentalia (Placental Mammals)

Magnorder

Boreoeutheria

Superorder

Laurasiatheria (Ungulates, Carnivorans, and Allies)

Order

Carnivora (Carnivorans)

Suborder

Caniformia (Dog-like Carnivores)

Infraorder

Arctoidea

Parvorder

Mustelida

Family

Mustelidae (Mustelids)

Subfamily

Lutrinae (Otters)

Genus

Lontra (New World River Otters)

 

Genus

This species was originally named Lutra canadensis. In 1972, New World otters were separated into the genus Lontra.

Subordinate Taxa

Haida Gwaii River Otter (Lontra canadensis periclyzomae)

Kodiak Island River Otter (Lontra canadensis kodiacensis)

Northeastern River Otter (Lontra canadensis canadensis)

Prince of Wales River Otter (Lontra canadensis mira)

Southeastern River Otter (Lontra canadensis lataxina)

Southwestern River Otter (Lontra canadensis sonora)

Vancouver River Otter (Lontra canadensis vancouverensis)

Western River Otter (Lontra canadensis pacifica)

Synonyms

Lutra canadensis

Common Names

Canadian Otter

North American River Otter

Northern River Otter

River Otter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Pelage

The coat of a mammal, consisting of fur, wool, or hair, and including a soft undercoat and stiff guard hairs.

 

 

Visitor Photos

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Craig Palmer
North American River Otter

Christa Rittberg

Observed at Fort Snelling State Park.
North American River Otter   North American River Otter

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

     
   

 

 

Camera

 

Slideshows

Otter
Andree Reno Sanborn

About

Lutra canadensis

 

slideshow

 

Visitor Videos

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Other Videos

River Otters on the Run | Wild Yellowstone
Nat Geo WILD

About

Published on Nov 30, 2015

River otters are in their element in Yellowstone’s early winter. They avoid a hungry Coyote with their excellent swimming skills, but soon the river will freeze.
➡ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoWILDSubscribe

About Nat Geo Wild:
Welcome to a place so wild, anything can happen. Nat Geo Wild is the network all about animals from National Geographic, where every story is an adventure and your imagination is allowed to run wild.

Get More Nat Geo Wild:
Official Site: http://bit.ly/NatGeoWILD
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River Otters on the Run | Wild Yellowstone
https://youtu.be/rN1zcU-xHrI

Nat Geo Wild
https://www.youtube.com/user/NatGeoWild

Northern River Otter
benjaminmadison

About

Published on May 14, 2013

Northern River Otter (Lontra canadensis) - a trio of otters seen in Victoria, BC, Canada

River Otters - Minnesota
S Kersten

About

Published on Nov 30, 2015

Otters outside Kettle River, MN.

Otter Ice Fishing in Minnesota
Mark Nelson

About

Uploaded on Mar 14, 2010

This is a North American River Otter on the ice on Superior Bay which is at the end of the St. Louis River and along Park Point which is the world's largest fresh water sand bar - located at the western most end of Lake Superior - the world's largest freshwater lake. You can tell that this otter fishes for a living. The surprise in the video is seeing him come up with two fish on his second dive through the ice.

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings

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Karen
5/20/2025

Location: Brooklyn Center, MN

He walked right through my front yard, into the backyard.  Was very surprised to see a River Otter, 10 miles outside of downtown Minneapolis.

Erika Elfstrand
October 2023

Location: Wright County

Had heard from neighbors there were otters in this lake system.

Finally saw them in October 2023. The video is too large to send and we didn’t get photos.

Thanks!

Anthony
4/7/2023

Location: Plymouth MN

I saw the otter near a pond behind my house.

Pat G.
10/9/2022

Location: the pond behind my home in Shoreview

one was sighted, swimming in the pond

Linda
9/25/2022

Location: Ottertail, MN

Three river otters swimming together in a small lake near the town of Ottertail.  They were doing a lot of diving but never saw them with a fish, so not sure if they were playing or hunting for fish.  I believe they left the lake, ran across the road to another small lake and lost track of them.  We have lived here for over 20 years and have only seen an otter two other times over the years.  Was fun to watch them.

Kay
5/22/2022

Location: Minnetonka

An otter lives in the creek behind our house.  We see him/her swim quickly toward the den in the evening.

Terry Sinner
4/5/2022

Location: Stearns County

I was driving with two friends to a knitting gathering near Luxembourg, MN, when we all saw what looked like 4 otters or fishers standing beside the road having a conference about topics unknown. They quickly ran into the south ditch as we approached.  There was a \swampy area on the north side of the road. County 137 between County 6 and 47, south of Hwy. 94.

Are either of these animals in this area?  We did not get any pictures.

John Valo
4/7/2022

Fishers prefer dense, continuous forests with large trees. They have not been recorded in Stearns County, but they have been seen in neighboring Benton County. Though the animals you saw could be either, it is more likely that they were northern river otters.

Lil Heiland
4/1/2022

Location: Golden Valley by Theodore Worth Park

James
11/13/2021

Location: 3rd Ave N & Ranchview Ln. N, Plymouth, MN

one came running throw back yard toward a small pond, was nice to see.

Craig Palmer
10/13/2021

North American River Otter

Location: Moorhead, MN rendition pond

Dano
9/24/2019

Location: Crane Park refuge (Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge) by Little Falls MN.

there was a pair of them

Susan
5/31/2019

Location: Edina

The otter ran across 70th St heading south. This was East of 100 and West of France.

Kirk Nelson
5/12/2019

Location: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge - Long Meadow Lake Unit

About 5 or 6 were sitting on a log about 15 yards into the flooded area at the beginning of the Long Meadow Lake Trail, just below the Visitors’ Center.  I barely had time to notice them before they slid into the water and swam away, so I couldn’t get a photo

Eric Hills
6/12/2018

Location: Big Lake Township

I was out walking the dog and saw it run thru the yard. The dog took after it and chased it into the tall grass around the swamp in our backyard. We live a couple of hundred yards off the Mississippi River. I couldn’t believe my eyes, Pretty awesome!

Marvin Schifsky
4/14/2018

Location: Washington County, MN (55082). Just south of co. Road 12, on Jamaca Avenue.

It was Huge! Nice to see. Did not think there were any in our area.

Dlg3
8/15/2017

Location: Plymouth/Minnetonka

crossing Hopkins crossroads during afternoon  rush hour

Christa Rittberg
6/17/2017

North American River Otter

Location: Observed at Fort Snelling State Park.

Minnesota Seasons Sightings

Glendalough State Park

 

 

Binoculars