File:Brehm's Life of animals - a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools (1895) (20224811458).jpg

Title: Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools
Identifier: brehmslifeofanim00breh (find matches)
Year: 1895 (1890s)
Authors: Brehm, Alfred Edmund, 1829-1884; PechuLoesche, Eduard, 1840-1913; Haacke, Wilhelm, 1855-1912; Schmidtlein, Richard
Subjects: Mammals; Animal behavior
Publisher: Chicago : Marquis
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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THE MARTEN FAMILYâOTTER. 179 The American The American Otter (Lutra canadensis), Otter, a although closely allied to the Common Ot- Larger Species, ter has sufficient distinctive differ , to * r entitle it to be classed as a separate species. It is considerably larger than the European animal, being about four feet in length from the tip of the snout to the root or the tail, and the tail is about two feet long; it has a pad or protuberance on its nose. The soles are covered with hair, and have callosities. The fur is of a brownish black color. The young are born in April in the northern, and earlier in the southern part of the animal's range, and a litter is com- posed of from one to three young ones, which are the object of most tender care on the part of their mother. This Otter is found in the greater part of the United States and in Canada north to the Hudson Bay region. Its habits resem- ble those of its European cousin,but it has one peculiarity that is noticed by all naturalists who have closely observed this animal, and that is its habit of sliding, or coast- ing down hill, in which it displays a zeal and proficiency that a school-boy might envy. In Canada, and other sections where the snow is plentiful, Otters indulge freely in this sport and, as described by Godman, they select in winter the highest ridge of snow they can find, scramble to the top of it, " lie on their Range and Habits of American Otters. riers, but those from Canada are deemed more valuable than those from the more southern sections. American Otters may be most successfully tamed, especially when taken young. Audubon had several young Otters which he says "became-" as gentle as Puppies in two or three days. 1 hey preferred milk and boiled cornmeal, refusing fish or meat till they were several months old." They became so tame that they would romp with their owner, and were very good-natured animals. Besides the American Otter three other American species have been mentioned by some authorities, including the Mexi- can Otter (Lutra californica), the Peruvian Otter (Lutra felina), inhabiting Central America. Peru and Chili, and the Brazilian Otter (Lutra brasilienis); but as they are much alike in si ⢠and coloration, and differ little, if any, from those already described, it is doubtful if these can be regarded as distinct species. Lit- tle is known about them or their habits. The Sea Otter, The Common Otter and some of its a Marine relatives temporarily visit the ocean, Variety. but one Specjes belongs to it entirely. The Sea Otter or Kalan (Enhydris lutris) is a repre- sentative of a distinct species and is perhaps a tran-
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SEA OTTER, OR KALAN. This is the true marine Otter, f water the Kalan makes its home in the ocean, and is found on the shor short tail, flipper-like hind paws, and dense fur are shown in the anim icy. northern home. (Enhydris lutris.) â¢Stomachs with the fore-feet bent backwards and then, giving themselves an impulse with their hind-legs, glide head-foremost down the declivity, sometimes for the distance of twenty yards. This sport they continue, apparently with the keenest enjoy- ment, until fatigue or hunger induces them to desist." It is not only in winter that they enjoy this sport. " Otter slides" or places on the clay banks of streams where they pur- sue this diversion, are well known in the West. Audubon says: "On one occasion we were resting on the bank of Canoe Creek, a small stream near Henderson, which empties into the Ohio, w-hen a pair of Otters made their appearance, and, not observ- ing our proximity, began to enjoy their sliding pastime. They glided down the soap-like, muddy surface of the slide with the rapidity of an arrow from a bow, and we counted each one making twenty-two slides before we disturbed them." H ntinn and The number of the Otters is rapidly decreas- j, .' trappers American Utters. for the ya,ue ^ thejr fur> The skin of the American Otter is in high reputation and general use with fur- â while other species of the group make occasional excursions into salt 5 and islands of the North Pacific. The flattened face, rounded head, in the picture, which is enjoying a meal of shell-fish on a beach in its sition member between the Otters and Seals. The head is somewhat flattened, but rounder than that of the other Otters, the neck is short and thick, the body is uniformly round, the tail is short, thick and compressed, of a conical shape and clothed in thick hair. While the fore-paws differ from those of the Common Otter only in their short toes (which are connected by tough webs, naked on their under sur- face and provided with small, weak claws), the hind paws are really fin-like, at least as much as a Seal's flippers, from which they differ in having their toes increase in length from the inner to the outer side. In some respects the hind paw of a Sea Otter resem- bles that of the Beaver, only that it is covered with short, dense, silky hair. The outer fur consists of long, wiry, brownish-black hair with white tips, which

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