Otter in the dirt pit

The dogs found something in the dirt pit. Watch the video below and eventually you will see it:

It’s an otter, also known as the North American river otter or the river otter, Lutra canadensis, or those otters that tear holes in the dam. This one is not very big. Apparently it came up here during the rain night before last.

And I guess otters are smarter than beavers, because the beaver that wandered into the dirt pit like that eventually lost to the dogs. The otter had enough sense to run away once the dogs were distracted.

Picture and video by Gretchen Quarterman, 1 Dec 2010, Lowndes County, Georgia; posted by John S. Quarterman.

-jsq

PS: The trees are in there due to a pine beetle infestation. If you’ve got a cure, I’m all ears.