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Research dossier · Science & Nature

North American river otter

Species of semi-aquatic mammal

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Science and natureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 11, 2026
Entity authoritySource title only
Source-derived summary

The North American river otter, also known as the northern river otter and river otter, is a semiaquatic mammal that is endemic to the North American continent throughout most of Canada and along the coasts of the United States and its inland waterways. An adult North American river otter can weigh between 5 and 14 kilograms (11–31 lb). The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “North American river otter” as species of semi-aquatic mammal. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around North, American and river.

Editorial reviewA practical orientation to terminology and classification, particularly when read beside dated observations, specimens or technical literature. The current 72-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with North, American and river providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “North American river otter”, the useful work is to connect “species of semi-aquatic mammal” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 11, 2026.

Critical limits

Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

Best used for
  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
Verify next

Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “North American river otter”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow North American river otter primary sources, North American river otter archive and North research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “North American river otter”?
  2. Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
  3. Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “North American river otter” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.