An adult North American river otter can weigh between 5.0 and 14 kg (11.0 and 30.9 lb). Beavers, on the other hand, are herbivores, eating mostly leaves, roots, bark and twigs. Family Mustelidae Otters, of which there are 13 species, are the most aquatic members of the Mustelidae family of mammals. He may look like a raccoon, hence his name, but he is not related … The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is a shy, if playful, weasel topping out at 30 pounds and five feet from head to tail.Otters are carnivores, eating mainly fish, crayfish, and frogs This ancient religion considered otters to be the dogs of the river or sea and had strict rules forbidding the killing of otters. We need you to answer this question! The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis), also known as the northern river otter or the common otter, is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to the North American continent found in and along its waterways and coasts. Beavers radically alter their own habitat when they construct large dams to block the flow of water downstream … Otters are distributed over all continents except Australia and Antarctica; however, marine-living otter species and populations occur mainly at high latitudes (Fig. 2).At low latitudes, primary production in freshwater exceeds that of the coastal ocean, whereas at high latitudes the pattern is reversed. Otters are actually related to weasels, but someone forgot to tell this otter that he wasn’t more closely related to a domesticated dog. Are otters related to cats? #17 – Raccoon Dog. With their sweet appearance and playful nature, it may seem impossible that otters are dangerous. River otters are rambunctious, aquatic, streamlined mammals that spend much of their time in the water. Weasels, badgers, skunks, and otters (Mustelidae) Class Mammalia. Order Carnivora. However, otters can be aggressive when necessary. Otters live near lakes or ponds and burrow in ditches, so interaction with people can occur. This article will refer to the twelve species of river otter, information about sea otters can be viewed here.Read on to learn about the otter. All mustelids, as otters and their relatives are known, are entirely or … This little guy has a sunny disposition and playful attitude expected from a family pooch. They generally have flattenned, wedge-shaped heads and very sharp teeth and eat mostly meat. He even likes to play tag and roll over. Use a damp cloth to wipe off your dog after you've been playing outside. As mentioned above, the Raccoons share his tree-climbing ability with the North American gray fox. Smaller dogs have less surface area, and so produce comparatively less dander than larger breeds — definitely something to keep in mind with a dog as large as an Otterhound! These hydrodynamic members of the weasel family are voracious predators. Also included in this family, and therefore related to otters, are badgers and weasels. Remember that no breed is 100% hypoallergenic, and any breed can aggravate allergies. And they stink, they have musk glands. Like the bat-eared fox, the raccoon dog is part of the Basal Caninae, being neither a true fox nor a true dog. Otters, ferrets, and weasels are all mustelids--in the weasel family, along with badgers, wolverines, skunks, etc. The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur. Otters are carnivores, living on fish, amphibians, aquatic reptiles and invertebrates and often taking the role of top predator in freshwater ecosystems. Their most obvious impact on their environment is their damming.