It ranges from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch, according to the Defenders of Wildlife. This is one way to easily identify them in the wild or in captivity. Sliding and wrestling, belly flopping, and somersaulting, river otters really know how to play! There are 13 species of otter around the world and many of them are endangered. Otters have 5 toes and their feet are webbed. Over 100 different scent components of otter dropping have been identified. Otters have their cubs in underground burrows, known as 'holts'. These otters dine on fish, birds, and various crustaceans as they are opportunistic. Some are small river otters, and … Giant otters Pteronura brasiliensis are the … Status: Near Threatened … Otter cubs only open their eyes about five weeks after they are born. National Geographic: North A… The Eurasian otter, also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia. Otters have many long, stiff sensitive hairs (‘vibrassae’) that frame the snout: these help the otter to locate prey. Though Eurasian otters mostly live alone, they do care for their cubs. Read our cookies policy ... Eurasian river otter … Otters tend to live in a holt, which is normally a hole in a river or lakeside bank or in a tree root. They tend to be more adaptable than other otter species, and can survive on a large assortment of foods from fish to crab to muskrats and young beavers. In other regions the otter shares aquatic habitats with species specialised to different habitats such as sea otters, but in Ireland the otters that live at the coast and those that occupy our rivers are the same species. Although the otter is an exceptionally good swimmer and fish catcher, it can only hold its breath for 20 seconds as it dives for its prey. Exposure to disease and parasites in the water and from food sources is also a primary concern. Which species are giant otters closely related to? Otters sometimes sleep above ground in a ‘couch’ (den). Otters are now quite common, especially in the west of England. They are now recovering strongly. Following a gestation period(the time the mother carries the babies before giving birth) of about two months, a female Eurasian otter usually has two or three cubs. Mother otters teach the cubs how to hunt by catching live fish and releasing them for the cubs to chase and re-catch. They have a long body with short legs, five toes which are webbed. The European otter (Lutra lutra) was common as recently as the 1950s, but became rare because of DDT pesticides, habitat loss and water pollution. Eurasian otters are indigenous to the UK and can be found in either fresh or salt water, although it’s usually known as the river otter for the obvious reason. 1-5 Otter Facts 1. There is a zoo in Japan that has tiny holes in the Otter enclosure allowing for people who visit the zoo to shake hands with the otters. In local areas its presence will depend on the provision of suitabl… Northern populations of Eurasian beaver usually have darker coloring. The white is also there under the face and down to the belly. The otter’s inner fur (closest to its body) has 50,000 hairs per cm² and it is completely waterproof. One of the interesting otter facts is that European otters eat 15% of their body weight every day and sea otters consume around 20 to 25% of their body weight each day. They can also become tangled up in fishing nets and drown. The Eurasian otters have an elongated body, supported with small and short legs. A male otter can patrol up to 21km of river and leave ‘spraints’ (faeces) in prominent places such as under bridges, on large stones, on fallen trees to mark the territory. It is a small otter and found only in the mid-part of Africa, in the tropical belt. They take advantage of any slippery slope for fun, whether it's a summer slide down a muddy hill or a winter thrill on snow and ice. Log in, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. On the other hand they weight around 11 kilograms. It is endangered in some parts of its range, but is recovering in others. This animal has nictitating membranes on its eyes, which close, as the beaver goes under water. Get information about different types of otters and discover interesting facts for kids with DK Find Out. However they predominantly reside in underground ‘holts’. They … Sometimes they will consume beavers or other mammals if they have the chance to do so. Warm air trapped in a sea otter’s fur keeps them warm in chilly waters.When otters dive, they seal their ears and nose.The word otter comes from Old English and Indo European root words that were also used to create the English word for water.Otters have the densest fur in the world. More information Accept. The European otter is a medium-sized carnivore in the Mustelidae, or weasel, family, which also includes the pine marten, badger and stoat. The European Otter is one what has a distinct look to it. Learning Colors! The young will stay with the mother for approximately 13-15 months. Not all otters use tools, but sea otters use them all the time. Otters are the only amphibious members of the weasel family. Males are larger in size than females (see photos). Cuteness! While it does have the brownish color of coat, it also features white along the length of it. Otters first inhabited the British Isles in the Cromerian Interglacial period (500,000 years ago), long before humans. in body length, with a tail that is up to 45 cm. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Otters can dive as deep as 14m under the surface and spend 4-6 hours a day in water foraging. Otters tend to live alone, except during mating and for a short time after the cubs are born. The Eurasian otter is chiefly brown on its upper side while its underside is cream-colored. The Eurasian beaver has short legs, small ears, blunt muzzle and valvular nostrils. Individuals are up to 90 cm. Roadkilldeaths are now happening more. The female sea otters are smaller as they grow up to 4.7 feet in length and weigh up to 73 pounds. These otters … An adult Eurasian otter is about 1.1m long and weights between 7-10kg. The fur of the European otters has brown hues, and is made up hairs short in size. Some otter species spend all their time in the water while others are land and water based … Otters make a variety of different vocalisations – they include a high-pitched whistle between a mother and her cubs, twittering noises produced during play-fighting, and cat-like noises when fighting. Find out more about otters with fun facts for kids. It also has a small nose and ears both of which can be closed while in water. It has a long slim body with a thick tail and legs which are short. The Best 20 Gallon Fish Tank Guide – 2021, The Best Aquarium Vacuum Buyers Guide – 2021, The Best Goldfish Food Buyers Guide – 2021, The Best Aquarium Rock Buyers Guide – 2021. About 17 of these are thought to contain information on sex, age and even individual recognition, which can be used by other otters. Males, known as dogs, are … You can set your browser not to accept cookies and the above websites tell you how to remove cookies from your browser. 5. Otters are part of the Mustelid family of animals which also includes badgers, pine martens and weasels. Otters are known to be playful creatures, and the Eurasian otter is no exception. Generally, the male sea otters grows from 3.11 to 4.11 feet in length and weighs around 49 to 99 pounds. They also have their young in the holts. Most are small, with short ears … The northern sea otters can weigh as much as 100 pounds. Hunting of otters was also common. 4. they can be up to 1.2m in length, with about a 3rd of that length being the tapered tail. It is a European member of the Mustelidae or weasel family and is typical of freshwater otters. The European or Eurasian otter is often referred to as the common otter. They can be found in freshwater and coastal areas throughout Europe, in north Africa and Asia. They are fast and agile swimmers who have a silvery appearance when underwater due to bubbles of air being trapped in their fur. They can grow to be more than a meter long, from head to tail, and weight up to 14 kg. OTTER MOMS ARE TOTALLY GAME FOR ADOPTION. They glide on their bellies with their front paws by their sides. Excellent and lithe swimmers, the … Type: Mammal Location: One of the widest distributions of a UK mammal species, the Eurasian Otter is found throughout Europe, eastern Russia and China, south and south east Asia and north Africa. You will notice that these white markings are different on each of them. long. The European otter is the most widely distributed otter species being widely spread across Europe. Cute! The European otter, also known as the Eurasian otter, or the common otter, has the widest range of all otter species. The size of the California (or southern) sea otters is about 4 feet. The species of otter that occurs in Ireland is called the Eurasian otter and is found in Europe and across Asia to China and Japan. This sp… The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily of the weasel family, it is found in the waterways and coasts of Europe, many parts of Asia, and parts of northern Africa. In Ireland the otter population is geographically widely spread. Size: Males (also known as dog otters) can reach a length of 130cm from nose to tail, … Very little is known about this species. Thirteen different species of otter exist all around the world. There are 13 species of otter around the world and many of them are endangered. They stayed relatively common in parts of Scotland and Ireland, but numbers in England reached a low point in the 1980s. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. They will stay with her for a little over a year, and they can mate and have babies of their own after they are two to three years old. In warm waters (with a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit), an otter has to catch a minimum of 100 grams of fish an hour to survive. River otters are aquatic mammals. 7. The Eurasian Otter has a long neck and it features a body style that is very broad. 7 FUN FACTS ABOUT OTTERS! Can otters use tools? The European otter is the most widespread of all the otter species. - Sourc. National Geographic: Sea Otter 2. At birth, the weight of a pup is 3 to 5 pounds. Additional resources 1. Otters are part of the Mustelid family of animals which also includes badgers, pine martens and weasels. Because otters eat mainly fish, you’ll generally find them in areas where there are plenty of this food source. It is believed to spend much more time on land than other otters. Otters also face problems with limited food supplies in some areas. Due to commercial fishing they may find that some of the types of fish they live on are in very low supply. They can also close their small ears and nose when under water. Some of our website features may not function as a result. A male otter is called a dog, a female is a bitch, and the young whelp, pup or kit. Here are 16 Interesting Otter facts. Otter spraints have a pleasant sweet musky smell, whereas those of mink are unpleasant and often slightly fishy. Top 10 Things to Consider Before Buying a Dog, Top 10 Ways to Make your Garden more Wildlife Friendly, Top 10 Things to Think about Before Buying Fish, Top 10 Ways to be an Eco-Friendly Traveller. They also eat crustaceans, frogs and even small water birds. The males of this subspecies weigh around 65 pounds while females are 45 pounds in weight. These are chambers dug out of the river bank or cavities under riverside tree roots. 8. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. River Otter (Lutra canadensis)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. The scaly tail is naked, broad, flattened horizontally and oval-shaped. Fun Facts for Kids Each European otter within its territory of between 1 and 4 miles has fixed locations where it gets into and exits from... Otters are very playful animals and have been seen sliding down snowdrifts or mud banks on their bellies. Eurasian Otters are a semi-aquatic mammal with predominantly light brown fur and a pale ventral area. It is covered with short fur that usually traps air to keep it warm. They have been seen sliding dow… The elusive otter is one of our top predators, feeding mainly on fish (particularly eels and salmonids), waterbirds, amphibians and crustaceans. Diet European Otters mainly feed on fish, but they will also hunt other aquatic prey, such as amphibians. The charismatic otter, a member of the weasel family, is found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Otters have webbed feet and claws – for swimming underwater. As for their size, the Eurasian otters reach up to 69 centimeters in length, of which about 42 centimeters correspond to their tail. They can live in cold regions as well as warm areas. This site uses cookies and by continuing to browse it you are agreeing to our use of cookies. In 2001, a female otter at the Monterey … PicFacts. OTTER FACTS FOR KIDS! Their skull is elongated and their snout crushed. Funny! PicFacts(1-500) PicFacts(501-1000) PicFacts(1001-1500) PicFacts(1501-2000) The Eurasian otter has a diet mainly of fish, and is strongly territorial. Amazing Facts About the Otter The European or Eurasian otter is often referred to as the common otter. 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