IRONWOOD, MI - Saturday, February 23, 2008 - River otters have been busy building their slide off of the Norrie Park Dam on the Montreal River recently. If there's one thing an otter likes to do... it's sliding.

Otters are found throughout Alaska, Canada and in a large part of the United States. They usually live alone in rivers, lakes, bayous and marshes. Otter pelts were once highly prized. Their pelts vary from rich brown to almost black with a pale brown on the throat, cheeks, and chin. The average otter grows to be about three or four feet long and they have been known to weigh as much as 20 pounds. Their webbed toes help the animal dive in deep water and swim at an astounding seven miles per hour. They can travel underwater for distances of up to a quarter mile before needing to come up for air.

River otters have been known to travel on land as well. Most of their land migration is an attempt to gather better food supplies in the winter. When crossing ice, they first bound a few leaps, then slide up to 22 feet before beginning the process all over again. Sliding appears to be one of the otter's principal activities and they appear to be doing it mostly for recreation. Using natural openings, animal burrows, hollow stumps, tree roots, or brush piles, otters often den on the banks of rivers. They generally bear 2-4 young in March or April. Though it takes them two years before reach maturity, they "leave home" in their first fall or winter to their own territories.

Oddly enough, otters often act odder than they oughtta.

Jim Albert