Wetland Wildlife #2: Two North American river otters (Lontra canadensis)
 
Watercolor and gouache painting on 7x10 paper matted and framed
 
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.