Living It Up In The Water

ENJOY MY 15 MINUTES OF FAME INTERVIEW WITH THE LOCAL 12 NEWS

Lowrey: Good morning Texas and thanks for joining us here at your local Texas channel 12 news station. I am news anchor, Casey Lowrey, and today, we have a special guest, aquatic biologist Miss Justine Duke, here to inform us on the latest news on her specialty. Good morning Miss Duke. Please tell us, what is today's discussion?

Duke: Good morning and thanks for having me. Today's topic is about an animal that most fall in love with its cute appearance, but the sad truth is that they are in danger and need our help. The aquatic animal is the North American River Otter or the Lontra canadensis, which is 1 of 13 species of river otters. These river otters have a playful nature where they enjoy sliding on their bellies down hills, bouncing objects, and wrestling with other otters. Though playful with each other, they can have a mean side and should not be handled by the average person. They live in freshwater areas mainly around rivers, but can also be located around the U.S. and Canadian coastal areas and lakes. Sadly, these furry animals are losing their habitat to fur trappings, water pollution, habitat destruction, pesticides, food shortage, and other threats, which has narrowed their locations to parts of Canada, the Northwest, the upper Great Lakes, and Atlantic and Gulf Coast states. River otters like to live in inland waterways, coves, dens, and other burrows along river banks.






Lowrey: What are some other interesting facts about river otters?

Duke: The river otter is a heterotrophic, carnivorous consumer. As river otters jump in and swim in the aquatic areas, they cover their eyes with a clear eyelid shield, close their nostrils and ears, and while using their facial whiskers to sense food they use their mouths to catch fish. The different types of food they eat are fish, small mammals, invertebrates like frogs, crayfish, and mollusks. In the wild, a river otter has an average life span of 15 years and is active all year long, but favors activity during the night. Though they spend most of their time in the water and can stay under up to 4 minutes on one breath, they also spend time on land to find a mate, get to their den, or take large prey to eat.

Lowrey: I know many biologists are worried about organisms and the effects that pollution, global warming, habitat destruction, and humans have on their chances of survival. Are there concerns for the river otter?

Duke: I am glad you asked that. There are definitely numerous concerns to have about the river otters survival chances when pollution, human actions, and habitat destruction come into effect. For right now, I will focus on water’s pH property. Measuring the acidity of water is how you get the pH. The pH scale ranges from 0-14 with 0 having the most amount of acid and 14 having the least amount of acid. In the river otter’s habitat, the river normally has an average safe, neutral pH level of 7. This neutral level helps the otter and its food source like fish get the correct amount of acidity to survive. If a pH level is too high or too low, then the organisms in the river could experience abnormalities, growth defects, or at extreme levels even death. The reason I bring this up is because due to the increase in human population, factories, and pollution, river pH levels could change and cause the river otter to decrease in population. For example, if a factory close to a river has a toxic spill with sulfur, if they dump their wastes in the river, or if rain carries their dumped wastes from a different but close site to the river, then the acidity or pH level of the river and the survival rate will change.

Lowrey: What does all that mean directly for the river otter?

Duke: Basically, this means the pollution that gets into rivers raises the acidity level. The raised acidity level depending on how low the number is from the neutral 7 can directly and indirectly kill, reduce, or deform the river otter species. If strong enough, the pH level can directly affect the river otter when the otter is in the acidic water, from its swimming in it and getting water in its body when catching fish. An indirect way is that pH levels can kill the otter’s food source like fish or just poison the fish, which indirectly poisons the river otter.

Lowrey: What about the otter’s reproduction process?

Duke: When it comes to breeding, they can start breeding by age 2. The reproduction months are March and April. Breeding season is a little different for otters. It comes right after the female gives birth lasting around 3 months. Once bred, the females experience delayed implantation, which prolongs the 2 month development period and has the embryos remain dormant for 9 months in the mother’s uterus. During the delayed implantation time, it is important to have normal river pH levels so the baby is not affected internally through the mother. Around a year later they give birth during late winter and early spring to a litter size from 1-6. Until week 3, baby otter’s eyes do not open. Mainly, the mother raises the otter until around 5-6 months when the otter can take care of itself and then around 12 months the otter leaves on its own.

Lowrey: All this pollution sounds quite horrible for the animal. Is there a way to stop the change in pH levels or at least help the animals?

Duke: It is extremely important to help protect this animal. A way to help is to make sure that pH levels stay as close to neutral as possible is by not having factories or mines close to the populated rivers or if they are close, then waste products must be discarded properly where it can not get into the river. As a human population overall, we must help by reducing the pollution we contribute to by example, using different fuel sources or limiting them.

Lowrey: Thank you Miss Duke for the eye opening information on North American River Otters. This is Casey Lowrey signing off as we go to our local weather.






















References:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0006/otters.html
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/NorthAmerica/Facts/fact-riverotter.cfm
http://www.otternet.com/species/naotter.htm
http://www.luddist.com/otter.htm
http://www.kingsford.org/khsWeb/water/pH.html
http://www.chattoogariver.org/index.php?req=otter&quart=Sp2004