I was out for a skate on the lake one weekend last winter when I came upon these markings. The distance between the prints is approximately three metres. They went on for kilometres, but eventually disappeared into the forest. Any idea what animal made them? Was it dragging something? Or was it maybe sliding across the lake?—Dan Bedard, Big Rideau Lake, Ont.
Your second guess is correct. “The photo is definitely of slide marks made by an otter,” says Franco Mariotti, a biologist formerly with Science North in Sudbury, Ont. “They’re well known for sliding across frozen lakes.” And their slide marks can look like drag marks because of the way the otter moves across the snowy surface. It bounds, slides as far as it can go, gets up, and launches itself on its belly again. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Print-wise, otter tracks look similar to species such as minks and fishers, though those guys don’t slide on horizontal surfaces. (They typically only slide by accident—down a hill, for example.)
Because of their tube-like bodies, sliding is an excellent way for otters to travel—it uses less energy, says Mariotti. “Biologists also think it’s fun for them.”
Well, obviously it’s fun for them. Wham-O may have started selling the Slip ’N Slide in 1961, but c’mon. We all know an otter invented it.
Got a question for Cottage Q&A? Send it to answers@cottagelife.com.
This article was originally published in the Winter 2025 issue of Cottage Life magazine.
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