Description:
Relatives of weasels, skunks and badgers, the river otter is 3 feet or more in length and weighs 7 - 35 pounds, with males typically larger than females.   The body is slender, with nose and whiskers prominent. The tail measures 12 – 18 inches and is thick nearest the body, but tapers towards the tip. River otters have short legs and webbed feet, with 5 toes on each foot. Eyes are located near the top of the skull and are covered while swimming by a nictitating membrane.   Facial whiskers cover the margins of the snout.  The ears are small and close while the animal is submerged.  Body color is generally black to shades of red-brown on the dorsal surface, and a lighter gray-brown ventrally. The throat and cheeks tend toward a yellow-gray color.

Habitat:
River otters occur in marine, brackish and freshwater habitats and are known throughout the Indian River Lagoon.  They are more common in mangrove creeks and adjacent hammocks, mosquito impoundments, canals and spoil islands. 

Range:
River otters range over the most of the United States and Canada, excluding the extreme southwestern U.S.