Wildlife In Litchfield County Is Thriving And Surprising Us

Our wildlife is thriving in Connecticut, especially in Litchfield County, and yet again I had my first encounter ever with one of our native wildlife species yesterday - A River Otter.

I grew up watching Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, so I've always had a love for them, and it was such a pleasure to see my very first River Otter yesterday in Torrington. I lived in Waterbury for 50 years, saw plenty of deer , possums, racoons, and coyotes, but since moving to Torrington 4 years ago I've added black bears, bald eagles, and now river otters to my list.

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River Otters are native to Connecticut, but you will probably never see one in the wild, they're shy and avoid humans. According to ct.gov, river otter are the largest members of the weasel family in our state, and they grow to 35-50 inches long from nose to tail. Otters can weigh 12 to 25 pounds, have webbed feet, and spend most of their time in the water. River Otters live in freshwater and saltwater habitats, they're denning animals that take over the dens of beavers, woodchucks, and muskrats. Otters eat fish, frogs, bugs, snakes, turtles, and small birds and mammals, and they have very sharp claws and teeth.

River Otters are excellent swimmers, can dive up to 60 feet down, and can hold their breath for four minutes. Otters are known to wander up to 50 miles exploring their territory, so the Naugatuck River, Connecticut River, and the Housatonic River are their home. Otters are prized for their fur, and Connecticut does have a brief otter hunting season during the Winter.