North American river otters eat, play and defecate in the same place. And their unhealthy habits make them ideal for detecting future health threats in the environment. Kristen Goodhue A North ...

Sea otters are often portrayed as lovable and relaxed animals that spend their time goofing around. Or, simply floating on their backs in the water with their special rock. While this image is ...

Join Micayla from the Lake Superior Zoo as she preps meals for the otters! Get a behind-the-scenes.. Join Micayla from the Lake Superior Zoo as she preps meals for the otters! Get a behind-the-scenes ...

Scientists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Maryland started investigating otter waste after finding odd ...

Three North American river otters play in the snow on the docks of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Detected with SERC’s night-vision wildlife cameras. North American river otters have ...

River otters really do have more fun. They jostle, belly-slide across ice and snow and toboggan down embankments into water. Splish splash. Few mammals are known to frolic as much as otters do, said ...

While sea otters spend the majority of their time in the water, river otters will often run and play on land. This leads to some interesting behavior that reminds us of fun childhood games: the “run ...