Rio Grande River Otters
by Britt Runyon
Title
Rio Grande River Otters
Artist
Britt Runyon
Medium
Photograph - Digital
Description
This image was captured while rafting the Taos Box section of the Rio Grande, New Mexico, within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. This family of five was such a pleasure to watch as they marked their territory, rolled in the sand, loped over the boulders and swam among the rocks of the river. Otters (Lutra canadensis) are built for swimming – having a streamlined body, short legs with webbed feet, dense fur to keep them warm, a tapered tail, small ears, and nostrils that can close underwater. Between 2008 and 2010, 33 were released in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Captured in the estuaries of the Pacific Northwest, they were party animals and as a result labeled “problem otters”, for rudely leaving shells and scat on local boats and boat docks. However, we don’t mind these “party animals’ one bit.
Uploaded
January 24th, 2020
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