Those familiar with the expansive Trinity River or bodies of water like White Rock Lake know about the diverse wildlife that calls Dallas-Fort Worth home. But one animal moving deeper into urban areas isn’t as well known: the North American river otter.

The otter, a member of the weasel family, is a slim carnivore with webbed feet and typically 2 to 2½ feet long. It has thick brown fur, which was in high demand in the fur coat industry through the 1970s. The cute and playful animals are known to build slides on riverbanks and ride down them on their bellies.

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