Another interesting bit about river otters, taken from Cascade-Olympic Natural History by Daniel Mathews:
- Fishermen here see otters regularly. Look on riverbanks and
lakeshores for otters’ easily recognized slides, tracks or “spraints.”
The latter are fecal scent-markers placed just out of the water on
rocks, mud banks or floating logs, and usually showing fish bones,
scales, or crayfish shell bits under a greenish, slimy (when fresh)
coating which smells distinctive but not unpleasant.
I went looking for spraints and slides around the fishladder this
evening. I found several places where the grass was beaten down in
paths and where something had been sliding down into the lake. And
right on the edge of the land bridge I found a compacted, dried pile of
crayfish bits. But there wasn’t anything fresh and I didn’t see the
otter. We’ll keep looking.
– posted by Niels
