http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/PhotoGallery/NorthAmerica/photos/20040326-206otter.jpg

No parts of this journal may be copied or reproduced without permission by the author. This will lead to multiple cards signatures by Mrs. Jones and bites by Ollie. All rights reserved. Published by Mrs. Jones Publishing Press. Printed by the Fourth Grade printer.

© Friday, November 14

2008

Mrs. Jones Publishing Press

Class of 2017

Centennial, Co

Food: Juicy Fish

Place: The rock by the river

Time of year: Spring

3175 Riverside Tree

Montane Zone, CO 52295

Age: 1

Well, this is it, what we’ve all been waiting for. My first ever journal. My mom encouraged me to keep one so when I visit, I’ll have things to tell her. So here it begins in 5…4…3…2…1…0! START!

Dive! Splash! Watch as a River Otter glides through the crystal-clear water at 7 mph. We otters are completely at home in the freezing water, even in the darkness of winter. Hi! I’m Ollie the Otter, and this is my exciting journal of the year when I am 1. I just left Mom, found my new territory, and realized it is spring! On the way to my home, I glimpsed at Billy Bighorn. As usual, he flaunted about how he is the state animal because of umpteen “outstanding” qualities.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/NGKids/ECard/otter-ecard.jpg

Don’t you think I would make a

better state animal then Billy?? I

mean, look at my adorable head!

http://www.luddist.com/otter04.jpg

Numerous babies like me stay with their

mother until they are about 1 year

old.

http://racphoto.com/Parks/WA/Ridgefield/Mammals/Otters/_MG_3938_acr431_450.jpg

http://www.naturalsciences.org/education/treks/yellowstone/2006/images/River%20otters%20in%20the%20Yellowstone%20River.jpg

I reside close to Wanchita

Weasel and Rachel Red

Fox. They play with me.

Only the mom raises her

babies. They all like to play. Hey!

Wait up you guys!

Dear Diary,

Today Rachel sent me a message from Mom. She wants me to write about all my strong qualities. Turns out she talked to Billy, and is mad at him for gloating around. So, without further adieu, here is my first quality.

My first quality is my incredible, new, home. River otters like me tend to build their homes in tree roots, on the rivers, or in a log jam. We also create temporary houses in brush piles, root areas, and under large trees. Occasionally, females chase another animal out of its home when she is trying to seek a holt to give birth to adorable babies. We rarely dig holes in sand to reside in because we are not the best diggers and it wastes time. River otters line the inside of our comfy den with leaves, bark, and moss. You can enter or exit my home from at least four different above-water entrances. Five other ones are located under the freezing water for easy escape from dangerous predators. Billy just locates shelter somewhere and sometime, not even in a pretty area! His body doesn’t comprise of the luck to detect a safe, warm, home like mine.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/james_dowlinghealey/riverotter2.jpg/large.jpg

.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/LutraCanadensis_fullres.jpg/299px-LutraCanadensis_fullres.jpg

This is my favorite picture of Mommy and Daddy together. This picture is the only remembrance I own of Dad. Fathers don’t stick around the wife after mating. He came to visit me when I left, though.

Another head one of my outstanding qualities is my very interesting hunting skills that make me a carnivore. My whiskers are very delicate and sensitive to even the slightest movement. That is why they are the part of my body that feels for savory food that I will consume. Then, once they discover something, it sends the information up the brain that says, “food!” My claws then reaches out to grab the frightened fish that is swimming away. Once it is caught, the sharp teeth in my mouth reaches out and kills the terrified fish. Another thing that helps me catch the most food as possible is the eyes on the top of my head and my interesting heart. The eyes on the top of my head helps me stay underwater, yet breathe. My heart slows once I dive into the chilly water, so I use up less breath. I can stay underwater for up to four straight minutes to catch fish! Clearly, without my incredible skills, the rivers would be overcrowded with plenty fish. Splash! I am the otter of the river catching every moving fish for miles

http://dnr.state.co.us/ImageDBImages/20844.jpg

http://www.canada-photos.com/data/media/18/bighorn-sheep_232.jpg

I, (Ollie) achieved numerous abilities that help me swim quickly with little pondering. My dark brown, glossy, coat acts the same as someone’s jacket that is “two in one.” The first coat (the guard hairs) repel all of the annoying water that weighs me down and keeps me from traveling as quick as I am able to. My under fur keeps me warm in the water, even in the freezing water during the frozen winter. The five toes that make up my foot are webbed, push water, and act the same as paddles on a row-boat. My feet encourage me to swim faster and capture the fish I am tracking down to it kill with one single blow and consume it. The nose, tail and ears of mine are located on the top of my head. This keeps the rest of my body submerged under water to catch more fish and to play wildly. On my incredible, smelling nose, there are large, thick skin flaps that prevent water from traveling into my nose. The same thing applies to my light, delicate, sensitive ears on my head. A clear coat of skin covers my eyes and acts like a pair of goggles only to use when I am underwater. I use my 12 to 8 inch, flat, well muscled tail like a rudder to steer me around Zip! If you see a dark, brown flash in the river, it is me, Ollie, swimming around and playing wildly!

http://racphoto.com/Parks/WA/Ridgefield/Mammals/Otters/_MG_3938_acr431_450.jpg

My sleek, slim body cuts easily

through the water.

http://dnr.state.co.us/ImageDBImages/20844.jpg

This is Olileasa, my exquisite sister. She is one year older then me. Her husband’s name is Ollick. They are about to give birth to babies.

While Billy only relies on his horns, I acquire many adaptations that keeps predators from attacking me. Just like a skunk, I can and will spray yucky, smelly muck from behind me. The only difference is that mine is not as smelly, (thank goodness.) Even with this small lapse, it keeps predators, such as the lynx, away and scared. I can make a sound through my mouth that sounds the same as a scream. It means, “Watch out and retreat, or get bitten very badly by moi!” My chickened predator usually retreats, or I do what I warned I would do; I bite!!! With my amazing abilities, all the predators are scared out of their wits when they glimpse at the petite form of me. As it is possible to notice, one of those animals that fear little amounts of animals is me because of seaming fearless. These skills are one of the many lessons Mom taught me before I traveled away to become more independent. So if you are considering doing anything that would harm me, forget it!

http://dnr.state.co.us/ImageDBImages/20813Web.jpg

Babies leave their Mom at one year

old.

The River Otters mate.

Babies are Born

Whoops! Muddy prints. And just to let you know, leaves don’t work as erases when it comes to mud. That is why I drew the border over it.

When chilly fall turns to freezing winter, many of my useful adaptations kick in and help me survive. Even when the water is frozen, I still hunt and fish, because the ice sometimes creates holes in the ice just for me to use. I call them “breathing holes” and nature makes me share them with beavers sometimes when there is one to share with. When I lived with Mom, we shared with “Mr. Beaver” but in my new territory, there are no beavers for miles! The breathing holes help me breathe since I come up through them to take a breath. The hair on my feet doesn’t let me slip, even on the slipperiest of all the ice. During the spring and summer, I gobble up a ton of fish, (20% of my body weight) and store up a thick amount of fat to feed off of in the winter. I also still catch many fish to consume and devour, because they aren’t smart and don’t know the difference between summer and winter. So next time you glimpse at Billy freezing in the winter, don’t forget to elaborate on how warm I feel in my cozy den, gobbling up fish and chatting with friends. Then, ask him what he does in the winter to keep warm, and don’t be surprised when he doesn’t answer. Next time you are frigid in the winter, try to acquire and grow some of my incredible abilities

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EpZYo-1lWog/RyeDQqPaGVI/AAAAAAAAAHE/0yrP-zyMFq0/s1600/River-Otter-Lutra-Canadensis-in-Winter-Montana-Photographic-Print-C12862178.jpg

If Billy ever resigns from his position, I’ll step up and become another wonderful state animal because of my extraordinary home, useful hunting skills, superb swimming, wonderful winter adaptations, and amazing abilities that keep predators away. So if Colorado wants to choose a new state animal, vote for me, Ollie the Otter!

http://www.grandfather.com/images/wildlife_otter.jpg

Books

Green, Jen. River Otters. Danbury, CT: Grolier, 2008.

Stone, Lynn M. Wild Animal of the Woods: River Otters. Vero Beach, FL: The Rourke Press, 1995.

Web

Kennedy, S. 2003. "Lutra lutra" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed October 30, 2008 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Lutra_lutra.html.