North American river otters live in freshwater and coastal marine habitats including rivers, lakes, marshes, swamps, and estuaries, and use hollow logs, rocky areas, abandoned beaver dens, or dense vegetative areas for dens. They eat amphibians, fish, turtles, crabs, and crayfish. Otters have been reintroduced into Ohio, and their population and range continues to expand. They communicate with whistles, growls, chuckles, and screams, and often exhibit play behaviors such as mud or snow sliding, burrowing, and water play. Their short legs, webbed feet, flattened head, and long, narrow, streamlined body help them swim efficiently and quickly through the water. They can stay underwater for as long as 8 minutes, and their thick fur helps keep them warm in cold water. Their range extends throughout Canada and the United States except for areas of southern California, New Mexico, and Texas, and the Mohave Desert of Nevada and Colorado.