The river otter exhibit opened at the zoo in May of 2013. Our river otter, Shirley came to the zoo in 2013 at about 2-3 years old. Otters are solitary animals besides a mom with young, so they prefer to be by themselves. Shirley, like most otters loves to eat fish. In the wild they would eat minnows, bass, perch and even some frogs. Otters can live 8-15 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. They can hold their breath up to 8 minutes when needed for hunting or getting away from predators. Otters can have up to a million hairs per square inch which is what makes them water repellant.
About Otters in Wisconsin
River Otters are common in Wisconsin and are found in suitable habitats, where aquatic food sources are plentiful. Otters love fish, like suckers, minnows, sunfish, and bass. They will also eat crayfish, frogs, birds, and some plants. If you think they look like weasels, you are right! They are one member of the weasel family, along with fisher, ermine, and marten.
Otters have large territories (3 mi2 or 8 km2) and are quite secretive which makes a sighting of one in the wild a rare and wonderful experience. You are more likely to see evidence of otters than the animals themselves. You may find their ‘spraints’ or bathrooms located along stream edges. Spraints contain their green vomit and scat along with undigested fish scales, bones, and crayfish shells.
River otter fur is shiny, soft and incredibly dense to trap air and insulate them from cold water and air. These properties make otter pelts desirable in the fur trade. Otter populations are healthy in Wisconsin and are more common in the northern half of the state. Each winter otters are trapped for their incredible fur by Native American tribes in the state and others with permits.
Read more otters from the DNR River Otter Fact Sheet
Did You Know?
A group of otters is called a romp when on land, but they are called a raft when in the water.
