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Otter

Scientific Name: Lutra Canadensis
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Size: 76-91cm (30-36in)
Weight: 5-15kg (10-30lbs)
Top Speed: 11km/h (7mph)
Life Span: 15-25 years
Lifestyle: Solitary

What does a otter look like?
Otters are a semiaquatic subfamily of the mustelid family, a diverse group of carnivores. Being a member of the mustelid family means that otters generally have short ears, five toes on each foot, a short snout and long, curved nonretractable claws (except for the small forepaws of the sea otter, which are retractable). Their coat is thick and waterproof.

Otter video.

Where do otters live?
The otter is a small mammal that lives both in water and on land. There are 13 known species of otter that inhabit areas all around the world. The sea otter from North America have been tracked journeying as far as southern Japan. The sea otter has also been known to grow to more than 1 meter long.

What does a otter eat?
What an otter eats, however, depends on the species. Some otters, like the European and African clawless otter, hunt fish, octopus, frogs and other aquatic prey. Others, such as the sea otter, stick to shellfish. To crack open hard abalone shells, the inventive sea otter floats on its back and hits the shell on a rock that it balances on its belly.

What is special about the otters fur?
Otters have a thick coat of fur which enables the otter to be warm in near freezing waters. There is also a series of thin hairs under the otters fur that help to trap air and keep the otter warm.

Did you know this about otters?

There are 13 otter species: giant, marine, sea, hairy-nosed, smooth-coated, speckle-throated, northern river, southern river, neotropical river, African clawless, Congo clawless, Asian small-clawed and Eurasian.
Otters tend only enter the water to hunt, which most do for 3 to 5 hours a day, or travel. This keeps their fur from becoming water-logged. The sea otter is the only species that actually lives in the water.
When sea otters groom their fur, they push air bubbles down toward their skin. The resulting air pockets help with buoyancy and staying warm.
The giant otter is the most vocal of the otter species. It has many distinct vocalizations, including those for alarm, aggressiveness and reassurance.