THE AMERICAN OTTER. 



In holes on river banks the Otter makes his home; 

 From solitude — wild nature haunts — he never cares to roam; 

 But swimming- in the waters and sliding- down the hills, 

 He plays the g^ames of boys and girls, and fishes in the rills. 

 Alas! the hunter sets his traps, to take him unawares, 

 With spring-s of wire and teeth of steel unhappily he fares; 

 His fur is fine, and soft, and warm, and ladies vain adore it, 

 With ne'er a thought of pity for the little beast that bore it! 



IN ALL parts of temperate North 

 America this, the most interesting 

 of the Otter family, makes its 

 home on the banks of nearly all 

 streams except those from which it 

 has been driven by man. It is much 

 larger than the European Otter, has a 

 longer tail, ana has a nasal pad be- 

 tween the nostrils which is larger than 

 that of any other species. Though 

 closely allied to the common species, 

 it has distinctive differences which en- 

 title it to be classed as a separate 

 species. Its habits resemble those of 

 its cousins, but it has one peculiarity 

 that is noticed by naturalists who have 

 studied this animal, which is the habit 

 of sliding or coasting down hill, in 

 which it displays a remarkable skill. 

 In Canada, and other sections where 

 the saow is plentiful, Otters indulge 

 freely in this sport, and, says Godman, 

 they select in winter the highest ridge 

 of snow they can find, scramble to the 

 top of it." lie on their bellies with the 

 forefeet bent backwards and then, 

 giving themselves an impulse with 

 their hindlegs, glide head-foremost 

 down the declivity, sometimes for the 

 distance of twenty yards. This, sport 

 they continue, apparently with the 

 keenest enjoyment, until fatigue or 

 hunger induces them to desist." 



The young are born .n April in the 

 northern, and earlier in the southern 

 part of the Otter's range, and a litter is 

 composed of from one to three young 

 ones. 



Authorities agree that the number 

 of the Otters is rapidly decreasing in 

 America, because of ^he systematic 

 way in which they are p\ rsued by trap- 

 pers for the value of th »ir fur. The 

 skin of the American Otttr is in high 

 reputation and s^eneral use with fur- 

 riers, but those from Canada are said 



C. C. Si!. 



to be more valuable than those from 

 the more southern sections. 



The Otter, when taken young, is 

 easily tamed. Audubon had several 

 young Otters which he says ''became 

 as gentle as Puppies in two or three 

 days. They preferred milk and boiled 

 corn meal, refusing fish or meat till 

 they were several months old." They 

 became so tame that they would romp 

 with their owner, and were very good- 

 natured animals. 



Rivers whose banks are thickly 

 grown with forests are the favorite 

 home of the Otter. There, says 

 Brehm, it lives in subterraneous bur- 

 rows, constructed in accordance with 

 its tastes and mode of life. "The place 

 of exit is always located below the sur- 

 face of the water, usually at a depth 

 of about eighteen inches; a tunnel 

 about two yards long leads thence, 

 slanting upwards into a spacious cham- 

 ber, which is lined with grass and 

 always kept dry. Another narrow 

 tunnel runs from the central chamber 

 to the surface and aids in ventilation. 

 Under all circumstances the Otter has 

 several retreats or homes." When 

 the water rises, it has recourse to trees 

 or hollow trunks. 



The Otter is the fastest swimming 

 quadruped known. In the water it 

 exhibits an astonishing agility, swim- 

 ming in a nearly horizontal position 

 with the greatest ease, diving and dart- 

 ing along beneath the surface with a 

 speed equal, if not superior, to that of 

 many fishes. 



The Otter, said an en-iiient natural- 

 ist, is remarkable in every way; in its 

 aquatic life, as well as in its move- 

 ments; in its hunt for food and in its 

 mental endowments. It belongs with- 

 out question to the most attractive 

 class of animals. 



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