Lutra canadensis

Description

Large and weasel-like with webbed feet, small ears and a broad snout; coloring brown above with a silvery white sheen below; tail is about half the length of the body, thick at the base and tapers towards the tip.

Habitat

Along streams and lakes

Diet

Mostly fish and aquatic invertebrates and crustaceans; will also eat water insects, birds, small mammals and a variety of reptiles and amphibians.

Range

Throughout the United States and Canada, not in the far northernmost part of Canada and not in the deserts of south-west United States.

Other Useful Information

Have sensitive whiskers that can help them find prey in muddy water.

Similar Species

Beaver, Mink, Sea Otter