Did you know that Mississippi has otters?
River otters, which are native to Mississippi, are smaller than sea otters, so the biggest ones you’ll see are smaller than 30 lbs, while sea otters get to be up to 100 lbs. According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, they’re particularly active in the spring in the state’s rivers, lakes and wetlands because frogs, fish, and other delectable treats are living in abundance!
The National Park Service says they monitor river otter populations within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area using several techniques, including looking for scat, tracks and other signs along shorelines in the fall and winter, and using wildlife cameras as these elusive little jokesters live their lives. According to National Geographic, river otters perform “scat dances” by stomping their hind feet and lifting their tail. Their droppings are called “spraints,” and authorities say they smell like violets.
Otters have their babies late in the winter or early in the spring, so you may see baby otters near the water’s edge, and they begin to come out around this time of year. Their mothers are teaching them to swim and hunt during their signature play periods as the warm weather comes in.
A good time to look for otters and their young is at dawn and dusk — sometimes you’ll see them swimming across the water a lot faster than any turtle or alligator you’ve seen. They do co-exist with those species, often taunting the alligators because they’re usually faster. Usually.
A fun fact is that a group of the cute mammals, when they’re on land, are called a “romp of otters.” The same group in the water would be referred to as a “raft.” There are 13 species of otters in the world, and five are listed as endangered, five as near-threatened, and two as vulnerable. The North American river otter is the species of least concern.
If you can’t see the otters in their natural environment, you can see Finn, Jackson, Sugar, and Magnolia at the Mississippi Aquarium on the Coast. Buy tickets here: https://www.msaquarium.org/p/plan-your-visit1/before-you-arrive/buy-tickets
