MAMMALS LUTRINAE LUTRA CALIFORNICA. 187 



LUTKA CALIFORNICA, Gray. 



California Otter. 



Lutra californica, J. E. GRAT, Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. Hist. I, 1837, 580. 



SP.CH. Length about four and a half feet. Naked muzzle wider than long; no naked point sent down from its anterior edge. 

 Under surfaces of all the feet but little hairy; the naked terminal pads not isolated from the other bare portions by hair, except 

 in the central digits of the fore foot. Tne naked portion of the palm not invaded by hair from the carpal region. 



Color above, liver brown, the long hairs with lighter tips ; not appreciably lighter on the belly. Sides and under surface of 

 head and the throat, dirty white. 



In general form, as far as can be ascertained from the tanned skin, the otter collected by Dr. 

 Newberry resembles that found in the eastern States. The muzzle is large and runs posteriorly 

 into the forehead as an obtuse angle, with the apex slightly rounded ; anteriorly the outline is 

 sub semi-circular, and there is no acute naked point sent down along the median line. The width 

 of the muzzle slightly exceeds the length. The nostrils are slightly valvular, so as to be capable 

 of being closed by the impending projection of the side of the muzzle ; they extend posteriorly 

 opposite the central point of the naked muffle. The whiskers are in numerous rows, and there 

 are tufts of similar stiff bristles over and behind the eye, behind the angle of the mouth, and 

 under the chin. The ears are very small, pointed, and higher than broad. 



The tail is long, tapering, and depressed. It is about three-fifths as long as head and body 

 together. The legs are short, the feet rather large and well palmated. In the hands the web 

 extends as far as the bulbs of the fingers. The greater portion of the inferior surface or the 

 palm is free from hair ; some is, however, discernible between the outer fingers (first and fifth) 

 towards the exterior of the web, especially on that portion between adjoining fingers. The pads 

 or balls at the ends of the fingers are all naked, and the entire under surface of the first and 

 fifth fingers being bare, the pads of these fingers are connected with the naked palm by a 

 continuous naked space, instead of being isolated by hair, as in the three central ones. The 

 fourth finger is longest, the third little shorter ; next the fifth ; the second and then the first 

 are considerably less. The claws are large and stout, a little shorter than those on the hind 

 feet. 



The hind feet are rather larger than the fore, but the proportions of the fingers are almost 

 precisely the same. The membrane between the toes is also of nearly equal extent. The 

 posterior third of the sole (from heel) is covered with hair, extending forwards into the naked 

 portion in an acute angle. The anterior two-thirds is entirely naked, except over that portion 

 of the web which extends between the toes. The terminal balls are entirely naked, and are 

 connected by a naked isthmus extending under the central line of the toes with the naked sole. 

 This isthmus covers most of the under surface of the first and fifth toes, but is narrower in the 

 others. There is a stiff fringe of bristly hairs along the exterior of the foot. 



The fur of this animal is of two kinds : one long and scattered, stiff and lustrous ; the other 

 very close, soft, dense, and silky, and slightly crimped. The predominant' color is a dark 

 chestnut, or rather light liver brown, not appreciably paler on the belly. The long hairs are 

 decidedly lighter at their tips, assuming more of the chestnut tinge. The sides of the head 

 and throat below the level of the eyes and ears, the upper lip, the under parts of the head and 

 throat, generally, are of a dirty white, purest on the side of head and edge of upper lip. The 

 legs and upper surface of the tail are rather darker than elsewhere. 



