MIKE BOTTINI PHOTO
A remote camera catches a river otter near a pond at Mashomack Preserve.
The snow this past month has allowed naturalists to document species and behavior that often occur unseen due to skittish creatures or nocturnal habits. The river otter is a good example.
Are there otters on Long Island? The last study that attempted to answer that question was conducted in the early 1960s and was part of a broader survey inventorying all of the species of mammals found on Long Island. It did not find any evidence of otters here. (more…)