Land-Cover Selection of Lontra canadensis (Schreber) (North American River Otter) in Iowa as Observed through Radiotelemetry

Bridget A. Nixon^1,2, Vince Evelsizer³, and Robert W. Klaver^1,*

¹Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011. ²Current affiliation - Department of Biology, Drake University, 1310 25th Street, Des Moines, IA 50311. ³Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Clear Lake , IA 50428. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 33, Issue 3 (2026): 337–354

First published early online: 26 July 2026

Abstract
Lontra canadensis (North American River Otter, hereafter Otter) are a reintroduced species in Iowa that have repopulated every county in the state after decades of extirpation. As a furbearer species, Otters are specifically managed by the state wildlife agency for the maintenance of a sustainable harvest population. Understanding land-cover use by Otters allows the managing agency to consider habitat availability and needs that will promote this population. Our objective was to study land-cover selection and availability in 3 study areas across Iowa, as well as determine if land cover was being used uniformly across sites. We trapped, implanted transmitters in, and tracked 22 Otters over a 10-month period. We used locations from the telemetry data to create a series of models that combined 5 coarse-scale land-cover variables and distance to water and compared competing logistic regression models using Akaike information criteria. We found that Otter use was higher in proximity to water ways and in open water. We also found that Otters did not use land cover uniformly across the 3 study sites. We suggest that conservation programs that encourage the reestablishment of multiple wetlands adjacent to permanent water ways receive support as a means to provide the annual life-cycle requirements needed for Otters in maintaining a sustainable Otter population.

Download Full-text pdf (Accessible only to subscribers. To subscribe click here.)