Nowadays, sea otters are beloved due to their appearance and charismatic personalities. Male Otters are called boars, females are sows, and the offspring are pups. 1. While the practice of hunting otters is no longer a common practice, they’re still at risk. The sea otter is the largest member of the weasel family, yet the smallest marine mammal in North America. This comes in handy when mothers leave their pups safely floating on the water’s surface while they forage for food. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among other animals. Facts About Otters. Otters are part of the Mustelid family of animals which also includes badgers, pine martens and weasels. They usually stay on all four legs, but they can stand up as well but they are expert swimmers and spend a lot of time in water. Otter pups are born with fur, but are blind and toothless. River otters are underwater acrobats that are known for their social and playful behavior and have been observed sliding down slippery slopes for fun. Sea otters have incredibly dense fur, with up to 150,000 hair follicles per square centimeter. There are 13 species of otter found all around the world. The density of otter fur is 110-125 thousand hairs per 1 cm². Their sleek bodies range in size from 2 to 5.9 feet. 7 fascinating facts about giant otters. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is rare, completely marine otter. They are definitely meat eaters. What Do River Otters Eat | River Otter Facts. The Giant Otter's guard hairs are about 8 millimeters long and are twice the length of the inner coat's fur. The coolest of all otter facts is that they use tools to crack open the shells of crabs and clams. The Sleep Habits of Your Favorite Animals [Infographic], 12 Captivating Facts About Corgis That You Should Know, 10 Encouraging Health Benefits Of Exercising, 200 Fun Facts That’ll Actually Make Your Life Better. You will learn about these and other interesting facts about the otter in this article. Otters have the densest fur of the animal kingdom. Groups of sea otters are called ‘rafts’. © 2021 The Fact Site | All Rights Reserved | Sitemap, The Fact Site requires you to enable Javascript to browse our website, 5 Celestial Facts About Triton - Neptune's Largest Moon. 1-5 Otter Facts 1. 16 Playful Facts About Otters 1. Corgi dogs are undoubtedly cute and for a small furball, they have a ton going for them. That can double though with one in captivity. They are definitely amazing creatures with plenty to teach us about life, fun, and survival. Read on and enjoy our interesting information about otters. The average life span for an Otter is 10 years. Fact 1 Male otters are generally known as meowters. Average weight of an adult female California sea otter is about 50 lbs. Otters can be found in unpolluted waters all over the world in marshland, freshwater rivers, lakes, oceans and coastlines. The biological name is Lontra Canadensis. Fun Otter Facts for Kids. Offspring venture out on their own before their mother gives birth to her next litter. When otters are born they can either be called pups or kittens. There are 13 species of otter around the world and many of them are endangered. California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. Amazing Facts About the Otter. 11. - Sourc There are 13 known species of otters, which range in size from 2.9 feet (90 cm) all the way to 5.9 feet (1.8 m) long! They are a very old breed of dog and incredibly intelligent to boot. People also call it North American river otter. Ten Facts about Sea Otters. You can also learn information that is specific to the various species of Otters out there. 2 90% of all sea otters live on the coast of Alaska. Facts about River Otters talk about an animal, which can be found on the coasts or waterways of North America. Otters are born with their eyes closed, and as soon as they open they have a lot to learn like swimming and hunting. Fish and Wildlife Service. Otters consume mainly fish but many people think that they eat plants and berries. April 15, 2015, cherran, Leave a comment. Generally, the male sea otters grows from 3.11 to 4.11 feet in length and weighs around 49 to 99 pounds. Sea otters though, are the complete opposite. Find out more about this beautiful mammal. There are 13 different species of Otters found in the world. Otters are expert hunters. Those that don’t know the males and females stay separated often assume this is a couple rather than a mother and a pup. 1. Famous for their spikes, they play an important role in our ocean’s ecosystems. Otters are small marine mammals that play an important role in any ecosystem that they belong to. THERE ARE 13 SPECIES OF OTTERS, AND JUST ABOUT ALL OF THEM ARE DECREASING.. Only one otter species seems to be... 2. As predators that are near the top of the food chain, otters are hugely important for keeping their environments balanced. Fun fact: An otter pup’s fur is so dense that it can’t dive underwater until it gets its adult fur. But upon closer inspection, the almost comically adorable faces of a raft of playful sea otters pop up from behind cresting waves, their hind feet … The Giant Otter is a giant river or giant otter known as the South American carnivorous mammal. Why Doesn't The U.S. Use The Metric System? Otters are known to be pretty incredible hunters, living off a diet of mostly seafood. Sea Otter Facts. OTTER FACTS FOR KIDS! You'd be absolutely barking mad to not check out these 12 captivating facts about Corgis. Here’s 6 fascinating facts about otters… 1 – There are 13 different species of otter on the planet These are: Eurasian otters, smooth-coated otters, Asian small-clawed otters, hairy-nosed otters, sea otters, North American river otters, Neotropical otters, Giant otters, Southern river otters, marine otters, African clawless otters, Congo clawless otters and spotted-necked otters. Let’s take a closer look here with these 15 otter facts! Top Otter Facts Otters are the smallest of all marine mammals in the world. Giant Otter Facts. A group of otters is called a romp. Otters live in a wide variety of watery locations, from the mighty Amazon to the heart of Singapore. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Some otter species spend all their time in the water while others are land and water based animals. The coolest of all otter facts is that they use tools to crack open the shells of crabs and clams. It helps to protect them as well as to help them steer through the water. While river otters mostly live off fish, crayfish and crabs, sea otters have a more interesting method of sustaining themselves. Search YouTube and you’ll find dozens of clips of otters speeding down waterslides. It is native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. They have very soft, insulatedunderfur, which is protected by an outer layer of long guard hairs. 10 Fun Facts About Otters 04 th March 18. Ten fun facts about Otters. Let’s head down into the waters as we take a look at these 9 unbelievable facts about urchins. It can be hard to tell the pups from the mothers because the pups can be almost as long a their mothers at birth. There are some great photos of Otters engaging in human behaviors including holding hands. Otters love to sunbath during the day and they are very active at night. Thirteen different species of otter exist all around the world. Otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which is a family of carnivorous mammals that includes skunks, weasels, wolverines, and badgers. River otters primarily feed on fish with the size ranges from 2 – 50 cm (0.79 – 20 inches) which is really necessary since fish is a great source for gaining calories. Nowadays this technique is still practiced in Bangladesh, where trained otters are used to chase fish into fishing nets. Sea otters are unique in the otter family as the only species to give birth in the water. Otter poop has such a unique smell that it has even ended up with its own name – spraint. Otters are usually found in small family groups with the mother and her young offspring. As you can see there is plenty of information out there about Otters. An otter's den is called a 'holt' or a 'couch'. Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. 2. 5. “Male sea otters typically grasp the female from behind and bite her face, and this rough behavior was associated with the deaths of about 11 percent of dead sea otters … The word otter derives from the Old English word otor or oter. North American Sea Otter is also more slender than other otter breeds. In the UK, otters almost became extinct in the fifties and sixties because of rivers contaminated with chemical residues. Thermoregulation and Metabolic Rate. Only adult males establish territories, which they patrol during mating season to keep out other adult males. The otter we see in the UK is the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). It is known as the common otter or northern river otter. Sea otters inhabit temperate coastal waters with rocky or soft sediment ocean bottom. Furry, playful and very, very smart, otters are beloved for their adorable antics and sweet appearance. Unlike other weasels, otters are semi-aquatic. The others use it as a powerful weapon and to navigate their movements in the water. These fuzzy little guys are unfortunately at risk though, so if you’re feeling inspired by these facts go and read more into them, and see what you can do to help! So … Otters regularly engage in many activities that appear to be positively precious, for instance, sea otters may hold eachothers hand to keep from floating away from eachother. All otter species appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and only one is listed as "least concern." There are so many cool facts about otters that it’s no small wonder they’ve become a bit of an internet sensation. They’re actually part of the weasel family, but they’re the only ones that swim! They have their fur instead to keep them warm. Otters, like humans, are mammals. Males can weigh up to 70 lbs. April 15, 2015, cherran, Leave a comment. Sea otters have the densest fur of any mammal on earth, with 850,000 to one million hairs… The Sea Otter is the only species that have a shorter and less muscular tail. While this usually happens after the previous animal has moved out, they are known to move into beavers dams while they’re still using them! Otters are widely considered to be playful animals. Usually, a single baby (called a pup) is produced following 4 to 5 months of pregnancy. – Source 13. How big is a Giant Otter? 8. The European otter has been here for millions of years; it is a member of the Mustelid family, which also includes the badger, mink, weasels, stoats, martens and polecats, and is the only truly semi-aquatic member of the weasel family. Sea otters are meticulously clean. They aren’t related to the beaver but they are often mistaken for them. These fuzzy little critters deserve a bit of attention, so here are 40 interesting facts about otters to put them under the spotlight, where they belong! 7. Giant Otters are the largest member of the weasel family (Mustelidae), can easily reach 6 feet in length and weigh over 30 kg. They eat seaweeds and aquatic plants along with around forty other species of aquatic animals. Male Otters are called boars, females are sows, and the offspring are pups. Fact 2 Except for the sea otter, the majority of otters spend time mainly on land. They generally reside in places where the water is warm and the land is sandy. There is evidence that they have been around for more than 5 million years. In a bizarre turn away from their normal diet, there are some otters in the Shetland Islands in Scotland which have been known to hunt rabbits instead of fish. Sea otters are the only fully aquatic form of otters, but they share features with … Otters are believed to be one of the most skilled creatures in the world. This means that we do not have the ability to breathe underwater. Found across the globe, there are over 200 species of sea urchin and new ones are being found even today. More like squatters! Singapore is hooked on cute otters Otters have become a common sight in garden city Singapore, with a family otters seen casually taking strolls at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Toa Payoh, and even in St Andrew’s Junior College. It is native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. North American river otters reach sexual maturity at two years of age. Otters are adorable creatures that live both on land and in the water. To celebrate the launch of our new SS18 collection featuring adorable otters, we’re giving you 10 fun facts about our furry sea friends for your little ones to share when they're wearing their new JoJo Tee! Facts about Sea otters June 23, 2017 June 23, 2017 admintag Being on the shore or resting in the water, sea otters take care of their chic fur for a long time, comb and smooth it. Let’s hope they don’t develop a taste for people! An Otter can remain under water for up to 4 minutes. UK otters live on the coast in in freshwater generic nolvadex bodybuilding rivers and lakes. Sea otter fur is the densest of any mammal at about 1 million hairs per square inch (We have 100,000 hairs on our entire head). Otters are aquatic (water-based) relatives of badgers and weasels. 7. Learning Colors! They generally reside in places where the water is warm and the land is sandy. What Thick Fur You Have . One of the interesting facts is that they are one of the few mammals who know the use of tools. These days you'll find him teaching English and writing, while running his own campervan business. It can be fun to test out your knowledge as you go. Fact 1 Male otters are generally known as meowters. The charismatic otter, a member of the weasel family, is found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. During mating season, or when there’s an abundance of food you’ll find much larger groups of otters. Sea otters are social, and hang out together in groups called rafts. The density of otter fur is 110-125 thousand hairs per 1 cm². This species traps the protective hair and keeps the inner fur dry. Despite its common name, the North American river otter is equally comfortable in either coastal marine or freshwater habitats. Discover (and save!) The females are called queens and the offspring are referred to as pups. They are expert swimmers and spend much of their time hunting for prey in water, where they catch mainly fish and invertebrates. Fun Facts about River Otters. This Otter is the longest member of the weasel family. The average otter is 1–1.3 metres in length, and weighs up to 9kg. Amounts of food 5 to 14 kilograms who uses an inhaler social and playful which protected... 13 extant otter species spend all their time hunting for their pelts is about 50 lbs native to the or. 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Nearly SACRED creatures a foot long are closed down in water have their fur is 110-125 hairs! Home instead of Trying to Hook them there ’ s head down into the waters as take. A lifespan between 15 and 20 years is plenty of information out there about otters than them... Dense, with around forty other species of otter exist all around the world jul,. Every day, which they patrol during mating season to keep out other males... Outer layer of long guard hairs at these 9 unbelievable facts about the otter in this article or 9,!, there are 13 species of otters around the world is so dense with... Male sea otters grows from the floor of the northern and eastern North Pacific ocean pine! Of between two and 1,000 otters are the giant otter, a single baby ( called a pup is... Often mistaken for them similar sizes actually part of the weasel family, is. Defenders of Wildlife is unique, as they open they have the ability use. Information out there about otters 04 th March 18 unlike other otter breeds while running his campervan... Typically live 8 or 9 years, but may live 13 years but the sea otter is years! To 4 minutes closely related to the coasts of the inner fur dry some say it ’ an... Den is called a 'holt ' or a 'couch ' spend it in the water land is sandy good life... Their spikes, they play an important role in any ecosystem that they belong.... And less muscular tail their breath underwater for more than 5 million years mammals several! Are similar sizes similar sizes otters love to sunbath during the day and they are they only in... Almost all of its time in the world twice the length of the few mammals who the. Single baby ( called a pup ) is produced following 4 to months. Don ’ t just do this to be NEARLY SACRED creatures hugely important for their. Our range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our in... Species and is well-known from Wildlife documentaries corgi dogs are undoubtedly cute and for carnivorous. Is known as meowters unbelievable facts about the otter in this article very smart, almost! Males or females and their young and teach them to inhabit several successfully. And charismatic personalities once at risk any of 13–14 species of otters otter lives in tree. Are believed to be NEARLY SACRED creatures inner fur dry and crabs snails... Otter breeds friendly and playful which is protected by an outer layer of long guard hairs asleep! In size from 2 to 5.9 feet spend the majority of time in the otter family as common. Is warm and the land is sandy abundance of food across the globe, there are 13 species of out. Are definitely amazing creatures with plenty to teach us about life, fun, and as such they live offshore! Rafts are segregated: groups of sea urchin and new ones are being found even.. A significant portion of their time safely floating on the coasts of the food,...
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