Facts about Otter
Otters have a dense layer (1,000 hairs/mmІ, 650,000 hairs per sq.
Sea Otters are the smallest exclusively marine mammal.
Sea Otters have some two hundred thousand hairs per square cm of skin, a rich fur for which humans hunted them almost to extinction.
Sea Otters eat shellfish and other invertebrates (especially clams, abalone, and sea urchins ), and one can frequently observe them using rocks as crude tools to smash open shells.
The Mustelidae (order Carnivora) also includes weasels, ferrets, badgers, skunks, wolverines, and others, although otters are more highly modified for aquatic life, with species found in freshwater, brackish, and marine environments.
Otters have an almost worldwide distribution, being found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica and being widely distributed in Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.
The Southern River Otter (Lontra provocax) is a species of otter that lives in Chile and Argentina.
All otters have long, slim, streamlined bodies of extraordinary grace and flexibility, and short limbs; in most cases they have webbed paws.
Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) live along the Pacific coast of North America (Alaska and California) as well as off the coast of Russia (IUCN-OSG, 2006).
African Clawless otters are found near permanent bodies of water in savannah and lowland forest areas.
Some jurisdictions have made otters a protected species in some areas, and some places have otter sanctuaries.
Sea otters are a keystone species in kelp ecosystems, keeping sea urchin populations in check, while also eating snails, squid, octopuses, and clams among others, while being consumed by predators such as killer whales.
The Northern River Otter (Lontra canadensis) became one of the major animals hunted and trapped for fur in North America after European settlement.
The Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is the only extant representative of the genus Lutrogale.
Otters roughly fall in the range of three to six feet in length (one to two meters).
The Neotropical River Otter or Long-tailed Otter (Lontra longicaudis) is an otter species found in Central and South America.
Instead, as with other species of otter, they rely on air-pockets trapped in their fur.
Most have sharp claws to grasp prey, but the short-clawed otter of southern Asia has only vestigial claws, and two closely-related species of African otter have no claws at all.
The European Otter is the most widely distributed otter species, the name being something of a misnomer, as the species' range includes parts of Asia and Africa, as well as being spread across Europe.
Sea otters have sebaceous gland secretions of squalene, which are normally found only in minor concentrations in other mammals.
The Southern River Otter is listed as endangered due to illegal hunting, water pollution, and habitat loss.
The African Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis), also known as the Cape Clawless Otter or Groot Otter, is the second largest freshwater species of otter.
Sea Otters are one of four groups of marine mammals, the others being cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), and pinnipeds (walruses, sea lions, eared seals, fur seals, and true seals).
River otters eat a variety of fish and shellfish, as well as small land mammals and birds.
The Spotted-necked Otter (Lutra maculicollis), or Speckled-throated Otter, has distinctive spots and streaks of paler color on the throat and neck, with fully webbed paws with well-developed claws, but with small teeth (IUCN-OSG, 2006).
The European Otter (Lutra lutra), also known as the Eurasian River Otter, Common Otter, and Old World Otter, is an European member of the otter species and is a typical freshwater otter.
Most otters have fish as the primary item in their diet, supplemented by frogs, crayfish, and crabs; some have become expert at opening shellfish, and others will take any available small mammals or birds.
Smooth-coated Otters are found in areas where water is plentiful—peat swamp forests, freshwater wetlands, large forested rivers, lakes, and rice paddies.
Smooth-coated Otters have adapted to life in an aqueous biome, but are nonetheless comfortable on land, and may travel long distances overland in search of suitable habitat.
The Oriental Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinereus), also known as the Asian Small-clawed Otter, is the smallest otter in the world.
But otters are able to keep their sleek, adorable figure thanks to their incredibly dense fur. They grow over 1,000,000 hairs per square inch! ... Although it feels smooth to the touch, it's actually like a miniature Velcro suit, full of hooks and barbs to lock the hairs together and make them as snarled as possible.Jan 28, 2016
Habitat. Otters are found almost all over the world and in many wet habitats, such freshwater rivers, lakes, oceans, coastlines and marshes. Most otters live in dens — built by other animals, such as beavers — that are dug into the ground that have many channels and dry inner chambers.Jun 17, 2016
River Otter. What they look like: The River Otter is built for swimming - they have a streamlined body, short legs with webbed feet, dense fur that keeps them warm, a tapered tail, small ears, and nostrils that can close underwater. They can grow to be more than a meter long, from head to tail, and weight up to 14 kg.
Pet Otters. ... From a legal standpoint, owning an otter can be trickier than a skunk, but it is possible. They love water so it is best if you have a body of water nearby for them to frolic in. You'll also need access to plenty of fish.Jan 2, 2015