Since the West Virginia river otter reintroduction in the 1980s and 90s, river otters have expanded across the state. In order to better understand the success of the reintroduction, managers at West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) want to better understand the otters’ lifespan, reproduction, space use, and habitat selection. All of these pieces of information aid managers in setting hunting/trapping seasons and limits as well as understanding the resource at large and the extent of the success of the reintroduction.
In order to learn more about river otters, WVDNR and WVU developed a project to assess spatial ecology. We will trap otters across the southeast part of the WV, equipping them with GPS transmitters. Using telemetry and the data collected from the transmitters, we can better understand what habitat these animals are selecting for and where they move through the environment. All of this information will provide the DNR information on the status of the population and how best to manage it. When results are available, they will be summarized here.
Details about the transmitters can be found on pg. 5 of the West Virginia Trapping Regulations