RIVER OTTER, Lutra canadensis 



(Pameaytuk) 



Range. — Most of North America north of Mex- 

 ico, to beyond treeline. 



Habitat. — Usually associated with rivers, 

 streams, or marine estuaries; occasionally some 

 distance from water. 



Races in Alaska. — The race yukane-nsis (type 

 locality: Unalakleet, Norton Sound) occurs on 

 most of the Alaska mainland from the Alaska 

 Peninsula and Bering Sea coast to the eastern 

 border. Three island races have been described 

 from Alaska: exfei'a^ (type locality: Nagai Island, 

 Shumagin Islands) known only from Nagai 

 Island; kodiacensis (type locality : Uyak Bay, Ko- 



diak Island) from Kodiak and Afognak Islands; 

 and optiva (type locality: Zaikof Bay, Montague 

 Island) from Montague and Hinchinbrook Islands 

 and from Cape Elizabeth on the adjacent Kenai 

 Peninsula. In southeastern Alaska tiie race pa/?if- 

 ica occupies the mainland west of the Coast Range, 

 and pericJyzomne lias been recorded from Yakutat 

 Bay and from Admiralty and Baranof Islands. 



Related species. — The species mira (type local- 

 ity: Kasaan Bay, Prince of Wales Island) occu- 

 pies the Alexander Archipelago and probably the 

 adjacent mainland of southeast Alaska. Tliis may 

 i^rove to be merely another race of canadensis. 



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