Otters are carnivores and love to find an eel for lunch.
Otters have such thick, waterproof fur, with up to a million hairs per square inch! Their webbed feet and strong tail make them a successful predator and at the top of the food chain.
They have adapted to life on land and in the water. They have webbed feet and the ability to shut their noses and ears underwater.
Otters like to play. So otters have two coats of fur. An outer layer that is waterproof and an inner layer that keeps you warm. An otter’s fur is so important that every time it comes out of saltwater it needs to be cleaned with fresh water to keep it in its best condition!
Otters have webbed feet so they can swim faster and more efficiently in the water. It’s like we close our fingers to swim, but otters do that all the time!
Otters have strong and large tails.
They have 150,000 hairs per cm2. That’s like having 150,000 hairs in an area the size of your fingernail!
An otter’s eyes, ears and nose are all lined up. This means they can stay far down in the water, but they can still see, hear, and smell you. When the otters are in the water, you only see a small part of their heads and, if you’re lucky, their tails too!
When an otter dives into the water, its tail is the last thing you see. This facilitates the distinction between otters and seals. The hump and tail make them instantly recognizable!
When otters have cubs, they often make a high-pitched sound to communicate.
Otter droppings are called spraint, and they actually don’t smell that bad! The spraint is often filled with fish and crab bones. If you see a clump of green grass on the rest, take a look, you may have found a spraint! The otter’s spraint acts as a fertilizer for the grass and helps it grow! Otters will use sprinting to mark their territories and important places. Always think of spraint when looking for other signs, such as holts and freshwater pools.
An otter’s home is called a holt. They like to have a few cenotes and other resting places called lineups throughout their range.
The Asian small-clawed otter is the smallest species of otter. Smooth-clawed otters are excellent divers and swimmers, covering great distances and staying underwater for 68 minutes on a single breath! Breathe long underwater and the average dive lasts about 30 seconds.
Newborn otters are pups and kittens, they stay with their mothers until they’re up to a year old, or until the next litter.
Otters are found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.