OK, I understand that there is something that one can do handling an otter that causes the fur to curl. I have read all kinds of things that are supposed to make it happen. Is there any factual research data that explains it?

You are not supposed to let the sun hit the fur, the dang things live outside. When fleshing, spray water on the fur to keep it from singing. After you board and dry the pelt fold the tail up and tuck the tail into the inside of the pelt.

How can an inert skinned and dried piece of fur curl up because I don't tuck the tail over the back end of the pelt?

Not looking for old wives tails, trapping fireside stories, internet statements that are repeated over and over, want some factual research data, is there any?

Otter hair is prone to singe in dry heat or strong uv light because the guardhair cross section is oval,unlike other furbearers that have a round guard hair cross section.
Take a nice straight haired dried otterskin out of your freezer in spring and store it in a hot attic all summer and check it out in the fall.

^^^^I agree with Boco's wife tale.

I've literally never sprayed water on an otter pelt at any point after catching. I've just treated like everything else. Skin, goes to freezer or fleshing beam immediately after skinning. Never had an issue with singe