To: mylife
> Stanhope suggested that the otter might be protecting pups, which would explain the animal's violent behavior..
Males, as I recall, are much bigger than females. They can be 60 inches from nose to tail. If this otter was threatening to humans, it was a male. I don't believe it was protecting pups but (in its considered opinion) driving off two rival males :-)
14 posted on
04/09/2004 4:23:12 PM PDT by
T'wit
("Now and then, an innocent man is elected to Congress" -- Will Rogers)
To: T'wit
They can be 60 inches from nose to tailWhat?! I'll have to do some checking on this one!
17 posted on
04/09/2004 4:34:27 PM PDT by
Lijahsbubbe
(If you knew what you were doing, you'd probably be bored.)
To: T'wit
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/riverotter.html River otter have long streamlined bodies and short, powerful legs with webbed feet. Although the record size for a northern river otter is 33 pounds and 54 inches in length, the average size is 18 pounds and 40 inches long. Males are approximately 17 percent larger than females.
Gross!
18 posted on
04/09/2004 4:39:33 PM PDT by
Lijahsbubbe
(If you knew what you were doing, you'd probably be bored.)
To: T'wit
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.....
21 posted on
04/09/2004 6:07:34 PM PDT by
Renfield
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