Northern River Otter Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777)    Synonyms: North American River Otter.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Chordata   >   Class Mammalia   >   Order Carnivora   >   Family Mustelidae   >   Genus Lontra   

Status:

Our lovable, semi-aquatic weasel is found statewide, but is most common on the coastal plain near the Chesapeake Bay. It was formerly extirpated in western Maryland due to over-trapping, but reintroduction from the Eastern Shore population was very successful.

Relationships:

Feeds primarily on fish, mollusks, crustaceans, reptiles, and amphibians.

There are 209 records in the project database.

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A Northern River Otter recorded along the Potomac River in Allegany Co., Maryland (10/7/2016). - Kimberly Booth.

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A Northern River Otter in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/1/2014). Photo by Jon Corcoran. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/1/2014). Photo by Jon Corcoran. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/1/2014). Photo by Jon Corcoran. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Calvert Co., Maryland (4/1/2017). Photo by Leslie Starr. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Howard Co., Maryland (3/22/2015). Photo by Howard Patterson. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/1/2020). Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Harford Co., Maryland (2/28/2016). Photo by Matthew Addicks. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Baltimore Co., Maryland (5/7/2014). Photo by Wendy Crowe. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Baltimore Co., Maryland (12/5/2019). Photo by Andrew Clemens. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter at Oxbow Lake, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/28/2010). Photo by Wendy Crowe. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter bursts forth from a pond in pursuit of some domestic Muscovy Ducks - Somerset Co., Maryland (1/20/2013). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter in Calvert Co., Maryland (12/5/2021). (c) rosalie-rick, all rights reserved. Photo by rosalie-rick via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter in Baltimore Co., Maryland (11/8/2023). (c) wendyinmd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by wendyinmd via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in a small pond in West Ocean City, Maryland (11/13/2010). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter in Montgomery Co., Maryland (2/7/2022). (c) Nick Hobgood, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND). Photo by Nick Hobgood via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter on the ice at Brighton Dam, Howard Co., Maryland (1/4/2009). Photo by Nancy Magnusson. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter in Howard Co., Maryland (11/6/2020). (c) Tim Frye, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Tim Frye via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter in Wicomico Co., Maryland (2/8/2024). Photo by Jonathan Irons. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Prince George's Co., Maryland (10/26/2010). Photo by Rob Ostrowski. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter in Harford Co., Maryland (1/25/2017). Photo by Frank Marsden. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (9/24/2017). Photo by Norma Broadwater. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter den in Allegany Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Josh Emm, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter with Bluegill prey in Prince George's Co., Maryland (1/27/2024). (c) Ken Clark, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Ken Clark via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter in Howard Co., Maryland (2/17/2024). (c) johnmetz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by johnmetz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter pawprint in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (10/22/2020). Photo by Lynn Strauss. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter scat in Prince George's Co., Maryland (3/12/2016). Photo by Kerry Wixted. (MBP list)

Evidence of a Northern River Otter in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/14/2017). Photo by Tyler Bell. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter pawprints in Calvert Co., Maryland (2/10/2019). Photo by Ben Springer. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter tracks on Assateague Island, Maryland (11/10/2013). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A Northern River Otter in Calvert Co., Maryland (3/18/2018). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

Northern River Otter scat found in Garrett Co., Maryland (7/12/2014). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)


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