Otter

Otters (Lutrinae) are amphibious (or in one case aquatic) carnivorous mammals. The otter subfamily forms part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, polecats, badgers, as well as others. With 13 species in 7 genera, otters have an almost worldwide distribution. more...

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An otter's den is called a holt. Male otters are dog-otters, females are bitches and babies are cubs. The collective noun romp is sometimes used for a group of otters, being descriptive of their often playful nature. Otter dung is called spraint (or sometimes scat as for other carnivores) – in the European otter at least this has a not unpleasant, perfume-like smell.

Physical characteristics

Otters have a very soft underfur which is protected by their outer layer of long guard hair. This keeps them dry under water and traps a layer of air to keep them warm.

All otters have long, slim bodies and short limbs. They have webbed paws. Most have sharp claws, and all but the sea otter have long muscular tails.

Diet and behaviour

Otters do not depend on their specialized fur alone for survival in the cold waters where many live: they also have very high metabolic rates. For example Eurasian otters must eat 15% of their body-weight a day, and sea otters, 20 to 25%, depending on the temperature. In water as warm as 10°C an otter needs to catch 100 g of fish per hour to survive. Most species hunt for 3 to 5 hours a day, and nursing mothers up to 8 hours a day.

Most otters have fish as the primary item in their diet, supplemented by frogs, crayfish and crabs. Some are expert at opening shellfish, and others will take any available small mammals or birds. This prey-dependence leaves otters very vulnerable to prey depletion.

Otters are very active, chasing prey in the water or searching the beds of rivers, lakes or the sea. Most species live beside water, entering it mainly to hunt or travel, otherwise spending much of their time on land to avoid their fur becoming waterlogged. The sea otter lives actually in the sea.

Otters are playful animals, for example sliding repeatedly down snowy slopes, apparently from sheer enjoyment. Different species vary in their social structure, with some being largely solitary, while others live in groups – in a few species these groups may be fairly large.

Example species

The following are short descriptions of a selection of species (see below for full list)

Northern River Otter

The northern river otter (Lontra canadensis) became one of the major animals hunted and trapped for fur in North America after European contact. As one of the most playful, curious, and active species of otter, they have become a popular exhibit in zoos and aquaria, but unwelcome on agricultural land because they alter river banks for access, sliding, and defense. River otters eat a variety of fish and shellfish, as well as small land mammals and birds. They grow to 1 m (3 to 4 feet) in length and weigh from 5 to 15 kg (10 to 30 pounds).

Read more at Wikipedia.org