How many baby North American river otters are in a litter?
A North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) usually gives birth to around 2 babies.
Each of those little ones spend around 58 days as a fetus before they are released into the wild. Upon birth, they weight 136 grams (0.3 lbs) and measure 91.3 cm (3′ 0″). They are a member of the Mustelidae family (genus: Lontra). An adult North American river otter grows up to a size of 68.5 cm (2′ 3″).
To have a reference: Humans obviously usually have a litter size of one ;). Their babies are in the womb of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks) and reach an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). They weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual, and reach an average age of 75 years.
The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis), also known as the northern river otter or common otter, is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to the North American continent found in and along its waterways and coasts. An adult North American river otter can weigh between 5.0 and 14 kg (11.0 and 30.9 lb). The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur.The North American river otter, a member of the subfamily Lutrinae in the weasel family (Mustelidae), is equally versatile in the water and on land. It establishes a burrow close to the water’s edge in river, lake, swamp, coastal shoreline, tidal flat, or estuary ecosystems. The den typically has many tunnel openings, one of which generally allows the otter to enter and exit the body of water. Female North American river otters give birth in these burrows, producing litters of one to six young.North American river otters, like most predators, prey upon the most readily accessible species. Fish is a favored food among the otters, but they also consume various amphibians (such as salamanders and frogs), freshwater clams, mussels, snails, small turtles and crayfish. The most common fish consumed are perch, suckers, and catfish. Instances of North American river otters eating small mammals, such as mice and squirrels, and occasionally birds have been reported as well. There have also been some reports of river otters attacking and even drowning dogs.The range of the North American river otter has been significantly reduced by habitat loss, beginning with the European colonization of North America. In some regions, though, their population is controlled to allow the trapping and harvesting of otters for their pelts. North American river otters are very susceptible to the effects of environmental pollution, which is a likely factor in the continued decline of their numbers. A number of reintroduction projects have been initiated to help halt the reduction in the overall population.
Other animals of the family Mustelidae
North American river otter is a member of the Mustelidae, as are these animals:
- Cameroon clawless otter with 2 babies per pregnancy
- Greater grison with 1 babies per pregnancy
- Neotropical otter with 3 babies per pregnancy
- Colombian weasel weighting only 211 grams
- Wolverine with 2 babies per pregnancy
- Asian small-clawed otter with 1 babies per pregnancy
- Striped polecat with 2 babies per pregnancy
- European pine marten with 3 babies per pregnancy
- Striped skunk with 5 babies per pregnancy
- Patagonian weasel weighting only 225 grams
Animals that share a litter size with North American river otter
Those animals also give birth to 2 babies at once:
- Mexican woodrat
- Guyenne spiny rat
- Pouched gerbil
- Lesser bamboo rat
- Pipistrellus mimus
- American shrew mole
- Brown hyena
- Unalaska collared lemming
- Western gray squirrel
- Volcano rabbit
Animals that get as old as a North American river otter
Other animals that usually reach the age of 25 years:
- Mona monkey with 30 years
- Madagascan fruit bat with 20 years
- Big brown bat with 20 years
- Bechstein’s bat with 21 years
- Matschie’s tree-kangaroo with 23.83 years
- Barbary macaque with 22 years
- Allen’s swamp monkey with 23 years
- Chamois with 22 years
- Mantled guereza with 24.5 years
- Brown long-eared bat with 30 years
Animals with the same weight as a North American river otter
What other animals weight around 8.09 kg (17.83 lbs)?
- Tasmanian devil usually reaching 8.2 kgs (18.08 lbs)
- Brush-tailed rock-wallaby usually reaching 6.94 kgs (15.3 lbs)
- Aardwolf usually reaching 8.14 kgs (17.95 lbs)
- King colobus usually reaching 8.7 kgs (19.18 lbs)
- Black colobus usually reaching 9.1 kgs (20.06 lbs)
- Agile mangabey usually reaching 7.11 kgs (15.67 lbs)
- Golden jackal usually reaching 9.67 kgs (21.32 lbs)
- Hoolock gibbon usually reaching 6.7 kgs (14.77 lbs)
- Preuss’s red colobus usually reaching 8.87 kgs (19.55 lbs)
- Moor macaque usually reaching 7.29 kgs (16.07 lbs)
Animals with the same size as a North American river otter
Also reaching around 68.5 cm (2′ 3″) in size do these animals:
- Binturong gets as big as 78.7 cm (2′ 7″)
- Large Indian civet gets as big as 81.9 cm (2′ 9″)
- Owston’s palm civet gets as big as 57.2 cm (1′ 11″)
- Crab-eating raccoon gets as big as 60.3 cm (2′ 0″)
- Egyptian mongoose gets as big as 57.5 cm (1′ 11″)
- Preuss’s red colobus gets as big as 57.9 cm (1′ 11″)
- Black colobus gets as big as 62.9 cm (2′ 1″)
- Red-rumped agouti gets as big as 57.4 cm (1′ 11″)
- Brown dorcopsis gets as big as 67.9 cm (2′ 3″)
- Malayan civet gets as big as 65.7 cm (2′ 2″)