Crabs Look On as River Otter Catches and Decapitates Fish

The crabs were lucky! They didn't get eaten and were probably able to pick up a few scraps of fish for themselves after the kill. Notice the crabs scurrying about in the rocks. Here are some interesting facts about River Otters: In addition to eating fish, amphibians, turtles, molluscs, and crustaceans, they also eat birds. Unlike Sea Otters which are agile in water and clumsy on land, River Otters are agile on land as well as in the water. About 1/3 of the animals total length consists of its long tapered tail, as shown at the beginning of the video. They live in fresh and brackish water environments, and are able to tolerate some saltwater. The one in this video was in a tidal area where a freshwater creek fed into a saltwater estuary. They live an average of 21 years in captivity and can live as long as 25 years. In the wild, they normally live to be 8 - 9 years old. River Otters are very playful and have been seen playing games. River Otters populations appear to be having a resurgence in the San Francisco Bay area in recent years. They have been observed in many watersheds and have been sighted on popular beaches-such as these two at Tennessee Beach in Marin County http://youtu.be/6zJyIoXD2E8. This otter was filmed at the Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, CA. at the Sir Francis Drake bridge over Schooner Creek. If you are wondering about the unusual "Historic Life-Saving Station Cemetery" sign near the bridge, and shown at the end of the video, go to http://1.usa.gov/1qhXL80. If you want to learn more about river otters check out these references: http://www.riverotterecology.org/ http://bit.ly/1opPbQF http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_river_otter http://www.defenders.org/north-american-river-otter/basic-facts