North American River Otter

Like some of their other weasel cousins, river otters are full of energy and are extremely playful. There's nothing like a good roll in the sand to dry off after filling their bellies with their favorite food, fish. They're also content to prey on amphibians, crabs, and even birds. Their sensitivity to polluted waters cannot be overstated. Where there are river otters, there is a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Thanks to the hunting ban on all otter species in North America some time ago and also to the protection of coastal environments in California, more and more of these semi-aquatic weasels are being found along coastlines and further inland near rivers.