Pulling traps today, last day of season. Walk up on my last set to pull and see that I’ve got an otter. Awesome!



Pull him up and this is what I find?? Half of his tail is missing and partially healed over. Knowing otters I just don’t see how something getting ahold of him. They are mean as a snake.

So what’s your vote? Another otter? A snapping turtle?

It likely got a bad infection from a bite, that caused the hair to fall out and the flesh to rot, as the infection spread.

Keith

Never seen that before.

Sounds logical Keith

What about the bone? He is missing a good 6-8 inches of bone

Infection is most likely, but he looks really fat and healthy otherwise. Usually when an animal gets an infection that causes that much trauma they turn to skin and bones. Wacked in the tail by a large foothold maybe?

He got his tail caught in someone else's 330 somewhere? I'm just guessing, I've never seen that before

Whats going on with his right front foot and leg? Or is that just light reflecting?

Alligator

That's what I was thinking ^^^

If it was a gator I’m gonna start toting a 44 mag

Bone can't survive without flesh surrounding it. Bone can also get infected too.

Keith

Most animals can eventually wall off or encyst infections, especially on extremities. People often encyst infections too.

Keith

Snake bit?

I caught a couple with no tails. One had no tail like he was born that way! The other kind of looked like yours except it was a much shorter stump.

That sounds very plausible

Maybe got run over by a vehicle.

Crawdads 😁

Road Rash, maybe. I have seen many otter cross roads and even highways. Looks to me like he just made it, sort of.

Got stump dried out. Super dark colored otter, almost black. Healthy male, beautiful otter other than the tail.

Buyer still wants him, so I’ll peel him tomorrow!