How might regular latrine sites help river otters communicate?

Regular latrine sites serve as important hubs for river otters to facilitate communication between individuals. While the specific mechanisms are complex, these sites function similarly to the territorial markers used by other mammals.12

By habitually returning to the same locations along the shores of lakes or rivers to defecate, otters likely create chemical and visual signals that convey information to others in the population. In many territorial species, such sites act as substrates for glandular secretions, allowing animals to advertise their presence, distinguish between individuals, and judge the age of a scent to determine if an intruder has been in the area recently. These markers help maintain social boundaries and provide essential cues for conspecifics navigating their environment.21