river otter
noun
: any of various Old and New World otters (especially genera Lutra and Lontra)
especially
: one (Lontra canadensis) of Alaska, Canada, and the conterminous U.S. found in aquatic environments from marine coastal regions to high mountains
Examples of river otter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Currently the largest semiaquatic mammal in the Great Lakes is the North American river otter.
—
Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
Whiskers, the river otter who parented the first otter to be born at the Detroit Zoo in 50 years, died on Tuesday.
—Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024
In 2016, doctors in Canada published a study about animal bites after a river otter bit a 52-year-old woman in Quebec.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2023
Officials in Montana did not specify what type of otter was involved, but a state field guide on local animals only lists one type of otter: the northern river otter, a member of the weasel family.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 3 Aug. 2023
This incident marks a rare occurrence as river otter attacks are infrequent.
—Evan Rosen New York Daily News (tns), al, 6 Aug. 2023
Earlier this month, three women in southern Montana were attacked by at least one river otter, per the Associated Press.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2023
The heavily wooded area includes oak, elm, pecan and cottonwood trees, forming a natural habitat for a variety of animals and birds, including racoons, mink, coyotes, beavers, possum, foxes, river otter and a variety of birds, from warblers to woodpeckers.
—David Tarrant, Dallas News, 8 Oct. 2020
Three women were attacked by a river otter on Wednesday, in a surprising assault which was so brutal, one woman had to be airlifted to the hospital.
—Evan Rosen New York Daily News (tns), al, 6 Aug. 2023
Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
Whiskers, the river otter who parented the first otter to be born at the Detroit Zoo in 50 years, died on Tuesday.
—Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024
In 2016, doctors in Canada published a study about animal bites after a river otter bit a 52-year-old woman in Quebec.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2023
Officials in Montana did not specify what type of otter was involved, but a state field guide on local animals only lists one type of otter: the northern river otter, a member of the weasel family.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 3 Aug. 2023
This incident marks a rare occurrence as river otter attacks are infrequent.
—Evan Rosen New York Daily News (tns), al, 6 Aug. 2023
Earlier this month, three women in southern Montana were attacked by at least one river otter, per the Associated Press.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2023
The heavily wooded area includes oak, elm, pecan and cottonwood trees, forming a natural habitat for a variety of animals and birds, including racoons, mink, coyotes, beavers, possum, foxes, river otter and a variety of birds, from warblers to woodpeckers.
—David Tarrant, Dallas News, 8 Oct. 2020
Three women were attacked by a river otter on Wednesday, in a surprising assault which was so brutal, one woman had to be airlifted to the hospital.
—Evan Rosen New York Daily News (tns), al, 6 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'river otter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“River otter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/river%20otter. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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