Wetland Wildlife #5 North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) in a freshwater spring 
 
North American river otters are playful, semi-aquatic mammals. They usually live in burrows dug into a riverbank, called holts. River otters are mighty hunters that eat a wide variety of other species including baby alligators. Both of my current river otter paintings were inspired by several lucky encounters I had with these graceful and entertaining critters at Ichetucknee Springs State Park.