| Show I I Crossword 35 Honor roll 39 33 i The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday February 16 1997 A river otter family relaxes along the banks of the Lamar River in Yellowstone National Park A glimpse into the life of Yellowstone’s river otters Text by Meredith Purintun Photos courtesy Brent R Pauli Uf may have seen one while out fishing or hiking who knows? And if you have consider yourself one of the lucky ones for they are few and far between here in Cache Valley I am speaking of the little known river otter Often confused with the muskrat or mink they definitely have their own set of distinct mannerisms which separates them from the rest of the pack River otters are best known for their playful and jaunty behavior They are included in the same family as the weasel badger and sea otter They rip through water briskly aided by their bodies torpedo-shape- d Otters have small eyes high on their heads allowing them to swim low in water with only the tips of their heads above the surface Otters can conserve oxygen and stay underwater for four minutes at a Monday Homefront: Maui Vow-- y time while they search for suckers and carp their favorite munchies River otters aren't the kind either they prefer to inhabit previously used beaver lodges or bank dens dug by muskrats They are curious and very busybodv-lik- e They tend to be most active around sunrise and sunset A favorite game that always seems to entertain especially with the younger otters is repeatedly sliding down mud or snow hanks on their bellies Water pollution and trapping led to the of river otters in Utah many years ago but now with the improved environment and reintroduction efforts the otters are slow ly but surely making a comeback Utah Division of Wildlife Resource officials think a small number of otters lurk in portions of the Bear River A Cache Valley otter was killed in a — tieing the knot in paradise beaver trap on Spring Creek in January River otters are protected by the Utah Wildlife Code The hunting and trapping of otters is prohibited The DWR initiated a river otter reintroduction plan in 1989 with a goal of establishing a permanent population of otters all over the stale of Utah Several of these otters will be implanted with radio transmitters to let biologists monitor them as they get used to their new environment This will help biologists eliminate factors that may be limiting their survival rate An "Adopt-An-Otteprogram has been suited and funded through donations sponsored by the Nongame Section of the DWR For more information on this program contact " the Uuh Division of Wildlife Resources W North Temple Salt program 15 Lake Citv Uuh 841 16 or call r" "AJopt-An-Otter- Features: 752-212- 1 |
