Animal Facts
Aquatic members of the weasel family, these playful mammals are often seen in groups alongside rivers. They eat crayfish and fish, as well as amphibians and occasionally even muskrats or beavers.
River otters weigh between 10 and 30 pounds. They can swim underwater at 6 miles per hour for 2 to 3 minutes.
Conservation Challenges
Otters frequently live in the same habitat as beavers, and therefore are often accidentally killed by traps, although trapping them in Jackson Hole is prohibited. Traps are indiscriminate and frequently harm other species that become accidentally ensnared.