Crew boats fend off otter attack

The Dartmouth ^ | 4/9/04 | By Marta Darby

[Renfield]

About 10 years ago, I was mapping soils in a very isolated area of the Pee Dee River swamp in Darlington County, SC, when I came upon a large male otter clinging to a log in a slough. I just saw him out of the corner of my eye, at first, and he was so big, I thought he was an alligator...it was at LEAST 60 inches long...I won the staredown...he left in a hurry...but before he vanished, he gave me one of those "if looks could kill, you'd leave in a basket" looks.....

[Billthedrill]

Never bring a megaphone to an otter fight.

[T'wit]

> Although the record size for a northern river otter is 33 pounds and 54 inches in length

Unfortunately, that doesn't answer our question. "Largest" here seems to be the weight, not the length; or at least we do not know which. So, it's still quite possible that some can reach 60 inches, even if it weighs less than the 33-pound record.

[T'wit]

> What?! I'll have to do some checking on this one!

Please do. I don't remember my source, but that's what it said, 60 inches. The only reason I wasn't startled by that was that I'd just seen one, and it looked like the size of a log.

[T'wit]

> he was so big, I thought he was an alligator

Exactly what I said to companions when I spotted something -- jokingly, because this was in northern Wisconsin, which doesn't have many alligators :-) It was in shadow at first so we could not be sure what it was. Then it swam away, and we all knew immediately we were watching a river otter.

[yawningotter]

AAAWWW! Isn't he the cutest thing! And he attacks libs too!

[T'wit]

>> short, powerful legs with webbed feet

Also from memory, not from personal experience: Their rear paws are webbed (for swimming), front paws are not (for catching and handling food).