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River Otter
Contributed by: Hale
  • 1. What is the scientific name for the North American river otter?
A) Riverus americensis
B) Lontra canadensis
C) Aqua otterus
D) Otterus riverinus
  • 2. How many species of river otters are there?
A) 27
B) 13
C) 8
D) 5
  • 3. What is the average lifespan of a river otter in the wild?
A) Less than 1 year
B) 2-4 years
C) 10-15 years
D) 20-25 years
  • 4. What is a group of river otters called?
A) A herd
B) A flock
C) A school
D) A romp
  • 5. How do river otters hunt for food?
A) They climb trees to catch birds
B) They use traps
C) They beg for food from humans
D) They dive underwater to catch prey
  • 6. What family do river otters belong to?
A) Mustelidae
B) Canidae
C) Felidae
D) Ursidae
  • 7. Do river otters have a strong sense of smell?
A) It depends on the weather
B) Yes
C) No
D) Only on weekends
  • 8. How do river otters groom themselves?
A) By taking dust baths
B) By licking their fur
C) By using hairbrushes
D) By rolling in mud
  • 9. Do river otters hibernate?
A) Yes, for several months
B) Only if it's a leap year
C) No
D) They hibernate underwater
  • 10. What is the conservation status of the North American river otter?
A) Endangered
B) Vulnerable
C) Least Concern
D) Critically Endangered
  • 11. What is the role of river otters in their ecosystem?
A) They are known for their singing abilities
B) They help maintain the balance of fish populations
C) They are scavengers
D) They are predators of birds
  • 12. What adaptation allows river otters to swim gracefully underwater?
A) Sharp claws
B) Striped fur
C) Blubber layer
D) Webbed feet
  • 13. Which of these senses is highly developed in river otters?
A) Taste
B) Sight
C) Hearing
D) Smell
  • 14. During which time of day are river otters most active?
A) Afternoon
B) Midnight
C) Noon
D) Dawn and dusk
  • 15. In which epoch did the river otter and the giant otter of South America diverge?
A) Oligocene epoch
B) Eocene epoch
C) Pliocene epoch
D) Miocene epoch
  • 16. What type of ecosystems do North American river otters typically establish their dens in?
A) Desert and arid regions
B) Urban environments
C) River, lake, swamp, coastal shoreline, tidal flat, or estuary
D) Mountainous areas
  • 17. What is a significant factor contributing to the decline of North American river otter populations?
A) Climate change
B) Natural predators
C) Environmental pollution
D) Overhunting by humans
  • 18. When did fossils of a giant otter dating back 3.5 million years ago appear in the US Midwest?
A) During the Eocene epoch
B) During the Pliocene epoch
C) During the Miocene epoch
D) During the Oligocene epoch
  • 19. How did New World river otters originate?
A) Through evolution in North America
B) Directly from South America
C) From Old World river otters via the Bering Land Bridge
D) Via migration through Europe
  • 20. Who first described the North American river otter?
A) Charles Darwin
B) Carl Linnaeus
C) Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber
D) George Cuvier
  • 21. Which subspecies of North American river otter is found on Kodiak Island, Alaska?
A) L. c. kodiacensis (Goldman, 1935)
B) L. c. sonora (Rhoads, 1898)
C) L. c. lataxina (Cuvier, 1823)
D) L. c. canadensis (Schreber, 1777)
  • 22. What is the average weight of an adult male North American river otter?
A) 20 kg (44 lb)
B) 15 kg (33 lb)
C) 8.3 kg (18 lb)
D) 11.3 kilograms (25 lb)
  • 23. Which subspecies of North American river otter is found in central California?
A) L. c. canadensis (Schreber, 1777)
B) L. c. periclyzomae (Elliot, 1905)
C) L. c. pacifica (J. A. Allen, 1898)
D) L. c. mira (Goldman, 1935)
  • 24. Which subspecies of North American river otter is found on the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia?
A) L. c. periclyzomae (Elliot, 1905)
B) L. c. pacifica (J. A. Allen, 1898)
C) L. c. sonora (Rhoads, 1898)
D) L. c. canadensis (Schreber, 1777)
  • 25. What is the average weight of an adult female North American river otter?
A) 15 kg (33 lb)
B) 11.3 kilograms (25 lb)
C) 20 kg (44 lb)
D) 8.3 kg (18 lb)
  • 26. Which subspecies of North American river otter is found in Mexico?
A) L. c. sonora (Rhoads, 1898)
B) L. c. canadensis (Schreber, 1777)
C) L. c. kodiacensis (Goldman, 1935)
D) L. c. pacifica (J. A. Allen, 1898)
  • 27. What is the maximum weight that large male North American river otters can exceed?
A) 11.3 kilograms (25 lb)
B) 15 kg (33 lb)
C) 8.3 kg (18 lb)
D) 20 kg (44 lb)
  • 28. How much of the North American river otter's total length is made up by its tail?
A) About one-third
B) Two-thirds
C) Half
D) One-fourth
  • 29. How many specialized teeth do North American river otters have?
A) 36
B) 42
C) 28
D) 30
  • 30. In which Canadian province were North American river otters recently re-establishing themselves?
A) British Columbia.
B) Prince Edward Island.
C) Ontario.
D) Quebec.
  • 31. What percentage of North American river otter scat samples in an Alberta study contained fish remnants?
A) 91.9%
B) 50%
C) 75%
D) 60%
  • 32. In which region did a study find crayfish forming nearly 100% of the river otter's diet at certain times?
A) Western Oregon
B) Alberta, Canada
C) Northwest Territories
D) Central California marshland
  • 33. Which prey do North American river otters sometimes consume more than fish, depending on regional availability?
A) Birds
B) Aquatic plants
C) Crustaceans (crayfish)
D) Small mammals
  • 34. What type of prey do North American river otters avoid consuming?
A) Carrion
B) Amphibians
C) Reptiles
D) Fish
  • 35. Which large animal's remains have been found in North American river otter scat, despite not being a regular part of their diet?
A) Mollusks
B) North American beaver
C) Ducks
D) Common snapping turtle
  • 36. What distinguishes North American river otters from Eurasian otters in terms of reproduction?
A) Shorter gestation period
B) Higher litter size
C) Lack of parental care
D) Delayed implantation
  • 37. Which family of fish do North American river otters prefer in Colorado's Upper Colorado River Basin?
A) Catostomidae (suckers)
B) Cyprinidae (carp and daces)
C) Salmonidae (trout)
D) Ictaluridae (bullheads and catfish)
  • 38. In which state did crayfish account for two-thirds of the North American river otter's summer diet?
A) Georgia
B) California
C) Texas
D) Arkansas
  • 39. What percentage of summer spraints in Georgia contained remnants of crayfish?
A) 50%
B) 98%
C) 85%
D) 75%
  • 40. What type of birds are most vulnerable to North American river otters during summer?
A) Waterfowl broods
B) Birds in flight
C) Colonial nesting birds
D) Rails
  • 41. Which specific species of amphibian is included in the North American river otter's diet?
A) Boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata)
B) American bullfrogs
C) Green frogs
D) Northwestern salamanders
  • 42. Which reptile is part of the North American river otter's diet?
A) Rough-skinned newt
B) Garter snakes (Thamnophis)
C) California giant salamander
D) Northwestern salamanders
  • 43. Which bird species is not mentioned as part of the North American river otter's diet?
A) Northern pintail
B) Canvasback
C) Mallard
D) Peregrine falcon
  • 44. Which order of aquatic invertebrates does NOT form a significant part of the North American river otter's diet?
A) Hemiptera (true bugs)
B) Plecoptera (stonefly nymphs)
C) Odonata (dragonfly nymphs)
D) Coleoptera (adult beetles)
  • 45. In which season do North American river otters consume more aquatic insects?
A) Fall
B) Spring
C) Winter
D) Summer
  • 46. Which terrestrial predator of the North American river otter is known to coexist with it?
A) American crocodile
B) Killer whale
C) American alligator
D) Red fox
  • 47. What year did wildlife management agencies begin reintroduction projects for North American river otters?
A) 2000
B) 1980
C) 1994
D) 1976
  • 48. Under which appendix is Lontra canadensis listed by CITES?
A) Appendix II
B) Appendix III
C) Not listed
D) Appendix I
  • 49. What does Appendix II of CITES indicate about a species?
A) Species have stable populations without any risk.
B) Species are extinct in the wild.
C) Species are critically endangered and need immediate protection.
D) Species not necessarily threatened with extinction but may become so unless trade is controlled.
  • 50. In which part of the United States are North American river otters still rare or absent?
A) Southwestern United States
B) Northwestern United States
C) Midwestern United States
D) Northeastern United States
  • 51. What has been particularly valuable in restoring river otter populations?
A) Introduction of invasive species
B) Urban development
C) Reintroduction projects
D) Culling of predators
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