Otters are known as playful animals often wrestling or spending hours sliding down muddy or snow-packed stream banks as seen in the photo. It is not out of the ordinary for North American river otters to be active during the winter. The fisher and its cousin the river otter often create tracks and trail patterns of similar appearance. As otters descend from higher elevations they can efficiently slide for several hundred meters (Lariviere, 1998). Wildlife photographer Barrett Hedges captured the sweetest, most playful river otter having a blast while sliding down a frozen river. Their burrows are typically found near water and are often built to be accessible both from on land and in the water. A trio of North American river otters had a blast playing in their snow-covered enclosure at the Buffalo Zoo in New York recently. Whether on a flat surface such as a frozen pond or river, field, or down slopes, otters take advantage of the snow, bounding then dropping to their belly and sliding… Saved from youtube.com. https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/belly-sliding-river-otter-make-day-45318342 No One Can Get Enough Of This Otter Sliding Down A Snowy Hill. River otters catch their prey by either a quick attack or sometimes after a long chase. River otters seem to like sliding down mud banks or in the snow—they’ll do it over and over again! Whether on a flat surface such as a frozen pond or river, field, or down slopes, otters take advantage of the snow, bounding then dropping to their belly and sliding, saving precious energy. Article by Deneé McKim. River otters are the best fish hunters in Minnesota. They tend to do this in groups. Penguins weren't the only Saint Louis Zoo residents to enjoy the snow, the facility also posted a video of their river otters gleefully sliding around the fresh snowfall. In the wild, they are often seen on the frozen rivers diving for fish and sliding down the riverbanks. There is no denying that North American River Otters know how to travel and have fun in winter. 0:53. As aquatic animals, otters have webbed feet, which is somewhat visible in their tracks. You may also come across an otter slide, a portion of river bank that’s been packed down to allow otters to slip into the water. River otters use the sliding approach when on snow, ice, river banks, and grassy slopes. River otters thrive outside of water too, and can sometimes be seen playing in snow or sliding down muddy hills. Luckily for river otters, their slick bellies are perfectly suited for such a feat, as one critter at the Minnesota Zoo used some fresh snowfall to demonstrate Wednesday morning. The squeal-worthy videos were posted by Grandfather Mountain, a wildlife sanctuary in northwest North Carolina, where three happy otters (Oscar, Nova, and Luna) are enjoying the winter wonderland around them. Seems like he does enjoy the snow! ... Otters .. Otters are playful creatures, frequently seen sliding down riverbanks or burrowing through snow. As noted by Grandfather Mountain, "River otters love playing in snow, often sliding on their bellies." You can look for otter tracks and belly slides on the ice and snow on area rivers. All this activity is part of the otters’ courtship, social bonding, and communication behavior, and since young otters need practice, they tend to be even more playful than the adults. If it’s been a while, or really, even if it’s only been, like, a minute, take this golden opportunity to watch this river otter sliding down a snowy hill. The two mammals rolled around in the snow while the national park remained closed to the public. Once or twice I've actually followed the otters, but thanks to the otters' habit of sliding in the snow, in the winter it is easy to get a grip on an otter's territory. This adorable river otter couldn’t agree more. They’re fun to watch: often wrestling or spending hours sliding down muddy or snow-packed stream banks. Footage shared to Facebook by the zoo on December 11 shows the adorable critters chasing each other through the white stuff, as well as rolling around and sliding in it. North American River Otters Sliding. The otters currently live in a private habitat and are not visible to guests, but their keeper Elena Appelt managed to capture the special moment. Wildlife photographer Barrett Hedges shot the footage in Yellowstone National Park and posted it on his Facebook page , BearHead Photography, last week. Dr. Serfass concluded, “Although river otters use sliding for locomotion, our observation of three river otters repeatedly sliding down an incline suggests that in some cases sliding … Tracking in the snow teaches you that while otters usually wind up where there are fish, to get there they can climb up and slide down some pretty high hills. There is no denying that North American River Otters know how to travel and have fun in winter. Related Videos. They also appear to enjoy sliding down steep slopes, such as the banks of rivers or slopes covered by ice and snow. The Saint Louis Zoo posted a video of North American river otters Oscar and Grover “tobogganing” in the snow Wednesday. Otters residing at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon, cooled off from the summer heat by slipping and sliding in a pile of ice cubes. ... River Otter Sliding on Snow… [Show full abstract] a video of three otters sliding across a snow-covered surface. Posting on the BearHead Photography Facebook page, Mr Hedges wrote: 'River otters are some of the most fun wild animals to watch! Collectively, the otters slid 16 times for a total of 53 seconds. North American River Otters Sliding. They can climb rocky areas and steep shorelines fairly well, and they will regularly slide down appropriate surfaces as a happy short cut. These were very small numbers: perhaps 200 individuals UK-wide in the first ten years of the Otter Trust. However in snow, otters usually slide frequently, creating a characteristic toboggan-like impression. Otters at North Carolina's Grandfather Mountain love the snow, and they have quite a bit of it to play in after the first major winter storm of 2016 pushed across the East Coast. Otters are mostly nocturnal, and very powerful and graceful swimmers. 'This guy was having fun running and sliding on the frozen river. Because they’re so good at getting food, they have plenty of time to play and less need to compete with each other. Otters also seem to enjoy playing in mud or snow, quickly bounding, then sliding on their bellies. No one with any sense, that is. Mar 10, 2019 - A playful wild River Otter runs and slides numerous times on a frozen river in Yellowstone National Park! For the next half hour, Dooley witnessed a group of otters running straight across the river ice and sliding down the hill into a hole. They have five digits and their paw print is about the size as the bottom of a soda can. Bundling up to play in the snow is one of the most fun winter past times. Out of the five minutes and 49 seconds of video, the otters were seen sliding down a snow covered rock 16 times. River Otter Sliding on Snow! or bound. Just keep swimming. Video by Alexis Rowe, courtesy of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, captured the magical moment when two otters named Oscar and Nova were seen enjoying the snow at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina on January 24. River otters breed between late winter and early spring. Dec 19, 2019 - Explore cynde gragert's board "river otters" on Pinterest. “A playful wild River Otter runs and slides numerous times on a frozen river in Yellowstone National Park!” via: tastefullyoffensive The post River Otter Sliding Down Snow appeared first on Viral Viral… The playful animal was seen running, belly flopping into the snow and skidding along the surface on January 31. Out of the five minutes and 49 seconds of video, the otters were seen sliding down a snow-covered rock 16 times. They like to play with each other and the prey they catch. While river otters tend to live alone or in pairs, they often socialize in groups and are known for their playful behavior. a video of three otters sliding across a snow-covered surface. They played with a ball as they took turns sliding down … Snow sliding can be fun :-D # otters. If tracking conditions are poor and tracks are unclear, distinguishing between these two mustelids can be tricky business. They also play with rocks and mussel shells in the water, tossing and diving for them. Much like human fresh pow enthusiasts, river otters make the best of winter by using the fluffy white stuff to slide down hills, frolic through snowbanks, and throw down in a game of snow-wrestling. Collectively, the otters slid 16 times for a total of 53 seconds. Barrett Hedges uploaded this joyful clip a week ago, resulting in over 140,000 views so far. See more ideas about otters, river otter, otter love. 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