Sliding Behavior in Nearctic River Otters: Locomotion or Play?

Sadie S. Stevens; Thomas L. Serfass

doi:10.1656/1092-6194(2005)012[0241:SBINRO]2.0.CO;2

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Sadie S. Stevens,^*,** Thomas L. Serfass^*

^*Biology Department, Frostburg State University, 101 Braddock Road, Frostburg, MD 21532
^***Corresponding author - sstevens0@frostburg.edu

Abstract

The popular literature often depicts river otters as extremely playful. However, some researchers have suggested that, contrary to popular belief, the much-noted sliding behavior of river otters is only a form of locomotion, not a form of play. While using remote video cameras to monitor a population of river otters reintroduced to the Youghiogheny River in southwestern Pennsylvania, we obtained a video of three otters sliding across a snow-covered surface. Collectively, the otters slid 16 times for a total of 53 seconds. Based on established definitions of animal play, our observation supports the popular notion that sliding can be play behavior in wild river otters.

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Sadie S. Stevens and Thomas L. Serfass "Sliding Behavior in Nearctic River Otters: Locomotion or Play?," Northeastern Naturalist 12(2), 241-244, (1 June 2005). https://doi.org/10.1656/1092-6194(2005)012[0241:SBINRO]2.0.CO;2

Published: 1 June 2005

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