All About Animals
Playful Otters
You can visit Sushi and Dunkin year-round! If you don’t see them swimming in their pool – look for them sleeping in their grassy nests in various locations throughout the exhibit.
About North American River Otters
![conservation status: near threatened](/media/21702/02NearThreatened.jpg)
Geographic Range:
![range map](/media/45691/RiverOtter.jpg)
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Lontra
Species: canadensis
Otters are champion swimmers. As they glide through the water, they hold their forelegs back against their cylindrical bodies and use their tail as a rudder. Thick coats and a layer of fat waterproof and insulate the otter from cold water and temperatures. They're even able to close off their ears and nostrils while diving, making them watertight.