I thought I had seen it all at the Orlando Wetlands, but apparently not. Back in February, I came across a family of American River Otters there.
It was a group of five otters. They were swimming together along near the bank of one of the ponds in the back of the wetlands. Then they decided to come ashore, and I was able to get some pictures of them.
“This water-loving animal is found throughout Florida except the Keys,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says on its website. “River otters usually prefer fresh water and can be found in rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, and swamps. Otters live in burrows on the bank of the water body, often under tree roots. They may dig their own burrow or remodel a beaver’s burrow.”
The FWC says the otters are native to Florida. “They are social animals and groups usually consist of a female and her juvenile offspring,” it notes.
Interesting, at least to me, was watching a couple of the otters deciding they needed to “mark” their territory on land the same way dogs do.
