by Jodi Hunley
Daily Lobo
A UNM biologist is searching for one of the rarest mammals in North America, the Southwestern River Otter, a subspecies that reportedly hasn't been seen in New Mexico for more than 50 years.
Paul Polechla, a research associate professor at the Museum of Southwest Biology,
said the otter is unique because it is one of the largest in its species and a New Mexico native.
"Fossils of the otter from 10,000 years back have been found in the Colorado basin, meaning it has always been a part of our fauna," Polechla said.
Polechla said the otter is semi-aquatic, which means it can live part-time on land and part-time in the water. It has webbed feet and thick fur, which acts as a dry suit to keep the animal warm during the state's cold winters.
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He said the otters also have unique valvular ears, which act as plugs during the animal's underwater activities, and that it also has a large lung capacity, making it a natural swimmer.
Having already searched more than 200 miles of the state's river systems in his six-year search for the species, Polechla said he is not deterred by the fact that there have been no recorded sightings of his quarry in the dessert Southwest in more than 30 years.
"I am bound and determined to search all the rivers in New Mexico and surrounding areas for the otter," Polechla said.
Polechla and his assistant, Aubony Burns, a 2002 UNM graduate who has helped Polechla in his search since 1999, said they use very primitive techniques to search for signs of the otter.
"Our tools for searching for the otters are low tech," Polechla said. "We use our eyes and walk the length of the river searching for tracks and droppings which are distinctive if you know what to look for."
Burns said he enjoys working with Polechla because he researches more than one aspect of the otter species.
"Not only does he look at the biological realm of things, he studies the historical and cultural aspects as well," he said.
While assisting Polechla, Burns said they went up the Rio Grande using infrared cameras looking for evidence of the otter.
She said the two also went to Taos Pueblo to find historical evidence of the otter's use in the past, discovering that they had been used for ornamentation and robes, and that they were valued for their fur and skin.
Polechla moved to New Mexico from Alaska about nine years ago and has been searching in earnest for the Southwestern River Otter for about six years.
"My main goal is to figure out if they are still around and how abundant they are," Polechla said.
So far he says he has seen evidence of the Southwestern River Otter in parts of the Colorado Basin, but none in New Mexico.
