Unequal summer use of beaver ponds by river otters: influence of beaver activity, pond size, and vegetation cover

River otters ( Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777)) and beavers ( Castor canadensis Kuhl, 1820) are semi-aquatic mammals that can occur sympatrically in freshwater ecosystems of North America, including beaver ponds. Although little research has been done on the relationship between these species, it has been described as commensal. Relatively little is known about what pond characteristics potentially influence otter use. During the summer of 2004, we documented otter activity signs (i.e., feces) at 56 beaver ponds located in Kouchibouguac National Park of Canada, along the east coast of New Brunswick. We sought to identify which of 16 variables describing pond attributes were related to otter use. Otter activity at beaver ponds was positively associated with beaver presence, pond size, and vegetation cover. We discuss how these pond characteristics can benefit otters in terms of two key habitat needs, availability of prey and shelter. Our results are a first indication that the source–sink dynamic of beavers, whereby ponds are created, expanded, and abandoned, will create a mosaic of ponds that ultimately influences the river otter’s own pattern of habitat use and distribution.

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Occupancy of Semi-Aquatic Mammals in an Urban Landscape

10.21203/rs.3.rs-772198/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Devin Hoffer ◽

Clayton Nielsen ◽

Andrew Rutter ◽

Stefano Anile

Keyword(s):

Forest Cover ◽

Castor Canadensis ◽

Single Species ◽

Lontra Canadensis ◽

River Otter ◽

Occupancy Models ◽

Lake County ◽

River Otters ◽

Restoration Practices ◽

Aquatic Mammals

Abstract Throughout midwestern North American ecosystems, semi-aquatic mammals including beaver (Castor canadensis), mink (Neovision vision), muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), and river otter (Lontra canadensis) co-exist in wetlands. These species are ecologically important through their manipulation of habitats and interactions with other species present. Although natural resource managers in urban ecosystems are interested in semi-aquatic mammals and factors affecting their ecology, few such studies exist in the literature. We studied impacts of restoration practices and other environmental covariates on detection and occupancy of the 4 aforementioned focal species on forest preserves managed by the Lake County Forest Preserve District (Lake County, Illinois, USA). Sign surveys were conducted during December-April in 2018-19 and 2019-20. We quantified 12 variables representing bank measurements, temperature, precipitation, soil type, and survey replicate to inform the detection process and quantified 12 variables representing forest cover measurements, aquatic plant measurements, dominant landcover, restoration practices, and anthropogenic disturbances for the occupancy process. Single species, multi-season occupancy models were run in RStudio using the package unmarked. Detection probabilities ranged from 0.10 ± 0.07 for river otters to 0.60 ± 0.03 for muskrats; occupancy probabilities ranged from 0.28 ± 0.18 for river otters to 0.90 ± 0.05 for muskrats. Detection and occupancy were influenced by similar environmental factors (bank measurements, precipitation, and survey replicate for detection; and stream measurements and food availability for occupancy) compared to more rural locations. We provide further evidence that muskrats are urban adapters and document the initial stages of river otter recolonization in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

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Spacing, movements, and habitat selection of the river otter in boreal Alberta

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z94-175 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 72 (7) ◽

pp. 1314-1324 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

D. G. Reid ◽

T. E. Code ◽

A. C. H. Reid ◽

S. M. Herrero

Keyword(s):

Lontra Canadensis ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Adult Males ◽

Movement Rates ◽

River Otters ◽

Aquatic Mammal ◽

Adult Females ◽

Two Factors ◽

Bog Lakes ◽

Selection Of

Seasonal spacing patterns, home ranges, and movements of river otters (Lontra canadensis) were studied in boreal Alberta by means of radiotelemetry. Adult males occupied significantly larger annual home ranges than adult females. Males' ranges overlapped those of females and also each other's. In winter, home ranges of males shrank and showed less overlap. Otters often associated in groups, the core members typically being adult females with young, or adult males. Otters tended to be more solitary in winter. In winter, movement rates of all sex and age classes were similar, and much reduced for males compared with those in other seasons. These data indicated a strong limiting effect of winter ice on behaviour and dispersion. We tested the hypothesis that otters select water bodies in winter on the basis of the suitability of shoreline substrate and morphology for dens with access both to air and to water under ice. Intensity of selection was greatest in winter, with avoidance of gradually sloping shorelines of sand or gravel. Adults selected bog lakes with banked shores containing semi-aquatic mammal burrows, and lakes with beaver lodges. Subadults selected beaver-impounded streams. Apart from human harvest, winter habitats and food availability in such habitats are likely the two factors most strongly limiting otter density in boreal Alberta.

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Development of polymorphic microsatellite loci for North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) and amplification in related Mustelids

Molecular Ecology Notes ◽

10.1046/j.1471-8286.2003.00564.x ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 56-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Amanda S. Beheler ◽

Jennifer A. Fike ◽

Lisa M. Murfitt ◽

Olin E. Rhodes ◽

Thomas S. Serfass

Keyword(s):

North American ◽

Microsatellite Loci ◽

Lontra Canadensis ◽

River Otters ◽

American River ◽

Polymorphic Microsatellite

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A River Otter's, Lontra canadensis, Capture of a Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, in British Columbia's Gulf Island Waters

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v121i3.483 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 121 (3) ◽

pp. 325

Author(s):

Michael H. H. Price ◽

Clare E. Aries

Keyword(s):

Lontra Canadensis ◽

Phalacrocorax Auritus ◽

River Otter ◽

Freshwater Lakes ◽

Marine Bird ◽

River Otters

Direct and apparent predation events by River Otters (Lontra canadensis) on birds have been recorded on marine islands and freshwater lakes. We add to this the first known observation of a River Otter capturing a marine bird on the ocean.

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Fatty acid analysis as a tool to infer the diet in Illinois river otters (Lontra canadensis)

Journal of Animal Science and Technology ◽

10.1186/2055-0391-56-16 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 16 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Damian Satterthwaite-Phillips ◽

Jan Novakofski ◽

Nohra Mateus-Pinilla

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acid ◽

Fatty Acid Analysis ◽

Lontra Canadensis ◽

Illinois River ◽

River Otters

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Investigation of the Relationship between Groundwater Level Fluctuation and Vegetation Cover by using NDVI for Shaqlawa Basin, Kurdistan Region – Iraq

Journal of Geography and Geology ◽

10.5539/jgg.v6n3p187 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Shwan Seeyan ◽

Broder Merkel ◽

Rudy Abo

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Level ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Level Fluctuation ◽

Kurdistan Region ◽

Groundwater Level Fluctuation ◽

The Relationship

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River Otter, Lontra canadensis, Food Habits in the Missouri Ozarks

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v122i4.636 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 122 (4) ◽

pp. 303 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Nathan M. Roberts ◽

Charles F. Rabeni ◽

John S. Stanovick ◽

David A. Hamilton

Keyword(s):

Smallmouth Bass ◽

Lontra Canadensis ◽

Micropterus Dolomieu ◽

Widespread Occurrence ◽

River Otters ◽

Lepomis Megalotis ◽

Rock Bass ◽

Longear Sunfish ◽

The Mean ◽

Ambloplites Rupestris

The reintroduction of River Otters (Lontra canadensis) between 1982 and 1992 resulted in widespread occurrence of the species throughout the Missouri Ozarks. This study examined otter diets from the vicinity of two Ozark streams in relation to seasonal and spatial trends. Otter scats (N = 4750) were collected and analyzed from the Osage Fork River and Big Piney River during the summer and winter seasons of 2001 and 2002. During the winter (January-March), fish occurred in 86% of the samples. During the summer (June–August), occurrence of fish dropped to approximately 15% for both rivers. Seven families of fish were identified in the diets, with Centrarchidae being most common regardless of river or season. Within the Centrarchidae, the genus Lepomis (mostly Longear Sunfish, Lepomis megalotis) was most common, with Micropterus (mostly Smallmouth Bass, Micropterus dolomieu) and Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris) also well represented. The mean age of Ambloplites consumed (mean = 3.3 years) was consistently older than that of either Micropterus (mean = 2.54 years) or Lepomis (mean = 2.78 years). Crayfish were recovered from a mean of 85.2% of scats in the winter and 99% in the summer. Smaller fish and crayfish were more common from the upper reaches of the streams while larger fish were prevalent in the lower reaches.

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River Otter Distribution and Food Habits in Grand Teton National Park as Part of an Ongoing Project in the GYE

The UW National Parks Service Research Station Annual Reports ◽

10.13001/uwnpsrc.2015.4099 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 38 ◽

pp. 75-78

Author(s):

Kelly Pearce ◽

Tom Serfass

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Public Support ◽

Primary Objective ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Lontra Canadensis ◽

Flagship Species ◽

River Otter ◽

Grand Teton National Park ◽

River Otters

Grand Teton National Park is part of the known range of the North American river otter, however not much is known about this semi-aquatic mammal within the park. The results presented here are part of a larger project to investigate the potential of the river otter (Lontra canadensis) to serve as an aquatic flagship (species that engender public support and action) for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. River otters, known for their charismatic behavior have the potential to serve as an aquatic flagship species to promote conservation of aquatic ecosystems. The primary objective of this portion of the study was to identify river otter latrines on portions of the Snake River, between Flagg Ranch and Jackson Lake, and between Jackson Lake Dam and Pacific Creek, collect river otter scats to determine diet of the river otter, and employ remote cameras to determine activity patterns of the river otters. Between 20 June and 1 July 2015, 26 river otter latrines were identified during shoreline surveys, 186 river otter scats were collected, and cameras were deployed at 6 latrines between 7 July and 24 August 2015. River otter scats have been cleaned and prepared for analysis, but have not all been processed to date. Camera traps recorded 222 images, of which 7% (n = 14) were of carnivores, 70% (n = 155) were of non-carnivore mammals, and 9% (n = 22) were of birds. River otters were detected at 1 of the 6 latrines, a total of 5 independent times during the study.

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