Brenda Khan
River otters are predominantly carnivorous, relying on aquatic food sources such as fish, turtles, amphibians, crayfish, and crabs. They will also feed on birds and their eggs, aquatic plants, roots, and tubers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Diet | Carnivorous |
| Food sources | Fish, turtles, amphibians, crayfish, crabs, birds, eggs, aquatic plants, roots, tubers |
| Diet preference | Crayfish and crabs more than fish |
| Diet variation | Summer - crayfish accounted for two-thirds of the prey |
| Diet variation | Winter - crayfish accounted for one-third of the diet |
| Diet variation | Spring - higher water levels resulted in more crayfish consumption |
What You'll Learn
Carnivorous diet
River otters are predominantly carnivorous, relying on aquatic food sources such as fish, turtles, amphibians, crayfish, and crabs. They will also feed on birds and their eggs.
River otters have a high metabolism, which requires that they eat a great deal during the day. They prefer to feed on crustaceans, especially crayfish and crabs, more than fish where they are locally and seasonally plentiful. In Georgia, crayfish accounted for two-thirds of the prey in the summer diet, and their remnants were present in 98% of the summer spraint. In the winter, crayfish made up one-third of the North American river otter's diet.
River otters also feed on aquatic plants, along with roots and tubers. They love ice and will rub it on their faces, use it to cool their fur, and snack on it.
River otters have a home range of up to 30 square miles (78 square kilometers), but a typical territory is 3 to 15 square miles (4.8 to 24 square kilometers). This home range shrinks drastically during breeding and rearing season.
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Aquatic food sources
River otters are predominantly carnivorous, relying on aquatic food sources such as fish, turtles, amphibians, crayfish, and crabs. They will also feed on birds and their eggs. Aquatic plants are part of their diet as well along with roots and tubers.
River otters prefer to feed on crustaceans, especially crayfish and crabs more than fish where they are locally and seasonally plentiful. In Georgia, crayfish accounted for two-thirds of the prey in the summer diet, and their remnants were present in 98% of the summer spraint. In the winter, crayfish made up one-third of the North American river otter's diet.
A study conducted on North American river otters in a southwestern Arkansas swamp identified a correlation between crayfish consumption, fish consumption, and water levels. During the winter and spring, when the water levels were higher, North American river otters had a greater tendency to prey upon crayfish (73% of scats had crayfish remains) rather than fish.
River otters get their boundless energy from their very high metabolism, which also requires that they eat a great deal during the day. At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, they eat a prepared meat diet and several types of fish. They also receive mice, carrots, hard-boiled eggs, clams, crayfish, dry kibble, crickets, and live fish for variety and enrichment.
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Fish
River otters are predominantly carnivorous, and their diet consists mainly of aquatic food sources such as fish, turtles, amphibians, crayfish, and crabs. They will also feed on birds and their eggs, and aquatic plants are also part of their diet, along with roots and tubers.
River otters have a high metabolism, which requires them to eat a great deal during the day. At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, they eat a prepared meat diet and several types of fish. They also receive mice, carrots, hard-boiled eggs, clams, crickets, and live fish for variety and enrichment.
In Georgia, crayfish accounted for two-thirds of the prey in the summer diet, and their remnants were present in 98% of the summer spraint. In the winter, crayfish made up one-third of the North American river otter's diet. A study conducted on North American river otters in a southwestern Arkansas swamp identified a correlation between crayfish consumption, fish consumption, and water levels. During the winter and spring, when the water levels were higher, North American river otters had a greater tendency to prey upon crayfish (73% of scats had crayfish remains) rather than fish.
River otters have a home range that can be as large as 30 square miles (78 square kilometers), but a typical territory is 3 to 15 square miles (4.8 to 24 square kilometers). That home range shrinks drastically during breeding and rearing season.
River otters have thick pelts, and sometimes on a hot day, even in spring, they have not lost much fur, so they need to cool off. They love the sound of ice and crunching, like otter pops. They have nothing better to do on a warm day than laze around in a huge bucket filled with ice cubes, which they rub on their faces, use to cool their fur and to snack on. It's not only great entertainment (for them and us!), it keeps them cool and hydrated. It's also a great social event for them.
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Crustaceans
River otters are predominantly carnivorous, relying on aquatic food sources such as fish, turtles, amphibians, crayfish and crabs. They will also feed on birds and their eggs. Aquatic plants are part of their diet as well along with roots and tubers.
River otters prefer to feed on crustaceans, especially crayfish (Cambarus, Pacifasticus, and others) and crabs more than fish where they are locally and seasonally plentiful. In Georgia, crayfish accounted for two-thirds of the prey in the summer diet, and their remnants were present in 98% of the summer spraint. In the winter, crayfish made up one-third of the North American river otter's diet.
A study conducted on North American river otters in a southwestern Arkansas swamp identified a correlation between crayfish consumption, fish consumption, and water levels. During the winter and spring, when the water levels were higher, North American river otters had a greater tendency to prey upon crayfish (73% of scats had crayfish remains) rather than fish.
River otters get their boundless energy from their very high metabolism, which also requires that they eat a great deal during the day. At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, they eat a prepared meat diet and several types of fish. They also receive mice, carrots, hard-boiled eggs, clams, crayfish, dry kibble, crickets and live fish for variety and enrichment.
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Birds
River otters are predominantly carnivorous, relying on aquatic food sources such as fish, turtles, amphibians, crayfish, and crabs. They will also feed on birds and their eggs. Aquatic plants are part of their diet as well along with roots and tubers.
River otters have a high metabolism, which requires that they eat a great deal during the day. They prefer to feed on crustaceans, especially crayfish and crabs, more than fish where they are locally and seasonally plentiful. In Georgia, crayfish accounted for two-thirds of the prey in the summer diet, and their remnants were present in 98% of the summer spraint. In the winter, crayfish made up one-third of the North American river otter's diet.
River otters love ice and will rub ice on their faces, use it to cool their fur, and to snack on. They also enjoy the crunching sound of ice.
River otters have a home range that can be as large as 30 square miles (78 square kilometers), but a typical territory is 3 to 15 square miles (4.8 to 24 square kilometers). Their home range shrinks drastically during breeding and rearing season.
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Frequently asked questions
River otters are predominantly carnivorous, mainly relying on aquatic food sources such as fish, turtles, amphibians, crayfish, and crabs. They will also feed on birds and their eggs. Aquatic plants, roots, and tubers are also part of their diet.
North American river otters may prefer to feed on crustaceans, especially crayfish and crabs, more than fish where they are locally and seasonally plentiful. In Georgia, crayfish accounted for two-thirds of the prey in the summer diet, and their remnants were present in 98% of the summer spraint. In the winter, crayfish made up one-third of the North American river otter's diet.
At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, they eat a prepared meat diet and several types of fish. They also receive mice, carrots, hard-boiled eggs, clams, crayfish, dry kibble, crickets, and live fish for variety and enrichment.
