2015-09-17
Observation of dead otter along 101 near Pieta
On September 16, 2015 while traveling north on highway 101 towards Hopland I thought I observed a dead otter by the side of the road. On the morning of Thursday September 17, 2015 I again spotted the same dead animal and stopped to investigate. It was indeed an otter that showed signs of having been struck by a vehicle. The site was located on the shoulder of north bound highway 101 between Pieta and mile marker 6.60 in Mendocino County.
Previously on at least one occasion I have observed what appears to be dead otter in the same general area, but have not stopped to identify the animal. With 101 being along the left bank of the Russian River one would expect otters to be in the river nearby, but question why an otter would venture upslope across the highway. Inspecting aerial images of the area from August 2013 show that there are ponds further upslope to the east. Perhaps the otter was traveling to these ponds.
I moved the carcass off the asphalt to the ground at the base of the rock slope protection feature adjacent to the highway.
Derek Acomb
Environmental Scientist