SAN FRANCISCO – A California ecosystem has gotten a big boost from an adorable, fluffy and hungry friend. At Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, a newly-reinvigorated population of ...

Scientists discovered that river otter droppings contain large numbers of parasites that infect the animals’ prey, indicating that otters may play a significant role in shaping local food webs.

Biologists and ecologists have long wished to gather high-quality data on exactly what the animals they study are eating, but how can such observations be made without disturbing the natural patterns ...

North American river otters eat, play and defecate in the same place. And their unhealthy habits make them ideal for detecting future health threats in the environment. Kristen Goodhue A North ...

MONTEREY, California (KGO) — When we first met the hungry otters of Elkhorn Slough last year, they were chowing down on a species of burrowing crabs blamed for destabilizing the shoreline. Thinning ...

In parts of the ocean where sea otters face stark competition for their favorite kinds of food, some otters are getting by with the help of tools — like rocks and even glass bottles — that let them ...