River Otter Home Range and Habitats Use Pilot Study

River otters have become reestablished in Nebraska after their reintroduction in themid 1980s and early 1990s. The species is currently listed as threatened in Nebraska (S2). Despite the high profile of the reintroduction and the otters’ role as a flagship species, relatively little is known about river otter ecology in Nebraska. The Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission initiated this project in October 2006 with the objective of collecting home range and habitat use information on river otters along the big bend area of the Platte River using remote sensing (radio telemetry).

GOALS: This project is collecting home range and habitat use information on river otters along the big bend area of the Platte River using radio telemetry. Data collected, in conjunction with the results of an ongoing river otter health and reproductive survey and results from NGPC’s annual otter bridge survey, will help to close existing information gaps and contribute to the creation of the Nebraska River Otter Management Plan and the Statewide Comprehensive Conservation Plan.

CURRENT STATUS:  River otters were implanted with transmitters: five in fall 2006 and an additional eight in fall/winter 2007. Tracking found two females that set up natal dens in spring 2007. One otter was found to have traveled about sixty miles downstream. Tracking of the thirteen implanted otters continues. The final trapping/implanting season was concluded in January 2009. In early January 2009, all but one implanted otter were located using aerial tracking.

GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT:  Sam Wilson (also Nebraska Game and Parks Commission), Amy Williams

TECHNICIAN: Dave Rempel, Kent Fricke

FUNDING: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

PROJECT PI: Craig R. Allen, NE CFWRU