Contribution ToOhio Division of Wildlife
Contribution To
Ohio Division of Wildlife
Home Range, Habitat Use, Movement and Survival of
River Otters in Ohio
River otters were once abundant in Ohio prior to the extensive habitat loss and destruction which occurred throughout the Midwest during the late 1800's and early 1900's. Interest in restoring wetlands. improving water quality and the successful reintroduction of beaver during the 1950's created suitable habitat for river otters in Ohio by the early 1980's. and extensive public interest in restoring this native furbearer. From 1986 to 1993, 123 river otters were live-trapped in Louisiana and released in 4 eastern Ohio watersheds.
To validate the successful reintroduction of river otters in Ohio and learn more about their ecology, the Ohio Division of' Wildlife teamed up with West Virginia University to study the use of habitats, movements and survival of river otters in the Killbuck Watershed. which the largest wetland complex in Ohio outside of the state's Lake Erie marshes. With financial support from FurBearers Unlimited. WVU graduate student Dave Helon radio-tracked river otters during the spring and summer of 2002-03 to identity habitat use and movements of river otters, while the Division of Wildlife monitored their survival year-round. Continued support from FurBearers Unlimited in 2004 allowed the Division of Wildlife to purchase a Beavertail outboard motor, which was used to traverse extensive areas of shallow marsh and rivers choked with woody debris to trap and radio-mark additional river otters. This resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of river otters (37) available for the research project .
Results of the combined effort revealed that river otters use much of the high quality wetland habitat for feeding, denning and rearing young, also exhibit survival rates that are quite similar to other well-established river otter populations in the Midwest. Combined with previous statewide survey information, results of this study are extremely important in educating the public about the comeback of river otters, and developing a comprehensive management program for this valued furbearer in Ohio.
©Drawn by Bob Anderson for NTA 1990
For more information: FBU
