Do you find fish heads or piles of empty fresh water muscle shells down at your shoreline or on your dock? If so, maybe you are visited in the night by the Pawtuckaway otter. For several years, primarily in the fall, we have observed these little "gifts" on our dock. Then early one morning we spotted the otter fishing and sunning himself on the rocks in front of our house.

I was surprised to learn that river otters are plentiful in New Hampshire. They live in almost all of our lakes, streams, rivers, and coastal marshes. In fact, New Hampshire provides otters to other states, like Pennsylvania, to re-establish their depleted otter populations. The otter is making a comeback after nearly disappearing in the last century due to over-trapping, pollution (mostly fertilizer run off), and deforestation. Otters are more plentiful in New Hampshire now than they have been for over 100 years. So, if otters are that plentiful, why don’t we see them all the time?

Otters are shy, secretive animals that live on their own after leaving their mothers at about 6 months of age. They live on or near the water in abandoned beaver lodges, tree roots or rock piles. They are primarily nocturnal, being most active from midnight until dawn. Their diet consists mainly of fish but they will eat turtles, frogs, crustaceans, bloodsuckers, reptiles and even birds! They have very sharp claws and their jaw muscles are strong enough to crack open a turtle. They are effective hunters on land where they run (hop and bound is probably a better description) at speeds of 18 mph.

Otters are between 2 ½ feet to 5 feet in total length and weigh anywhere from 12 to 35 pounds. They have very thick, dark brown fur and a layer of fat to keep them warm and dry. Their bellies are a silver/gray fur. All four of their short, powerful legs have webbed feet, which makes them excellent swimmers. They have valves in their ears and nose that close when they swim and they can hold their breath under water or ice for up to 4 minutes and swim ¼ of a mile before needing to surface for air. They are known to dive 25 to 60 feet deep, which is not a skill they need too often on Pawtuckaway.

So, next time you think you saw a really big beaver swimming across the lake or wonder who’s been leaving you little "gifts" on your dock, keep an eye out for the Pawtuckaway otter.