On they ground, they can run very fast. Giant otter belongs to a family of carnivorous mammals called mustelid. A group of otters are called a 'bevy', 'family', 'lodge', or 'romp', or, when in water the group is called a … An otter family will defend a territory and use scent to mark the territory boundaries. They take a nap at mid-day during really warm weather. Otters live on every continent except for Australia and Antarctica. Once they catch it, they bring it to the top of the water, where they eat it. There are many different kinds of otters. Otters are very playful animals and have been seen sliding down snowdrifts or mud banks on their bellies. It's a river otter! There are 13 species of otter found all around the world. Also, their feet are webbed, which helps them swim. They also love to play. All rights reserved. Otters are long and slim animals with four short legs that can be longer than a meter. Scientists have also learnt a whole lot more from otters including these five fast facts: There are 13 species of otter. Otters live 8 to 9 years in the wilderness, and as many as 21 years when living with people. Otters can dive 300 feet down in water while looking for food. There are 13 species of otter around the world and many of them are endangered. Much of their food is found in water. In 2014, a study of giant otters found that the river-dwellers … Otters are part of the Mustelid family of animals which also includes badgers, pine martens and weasels. Amazing Facts About the Otter. Once they catch it, they bring it to the top of the water, where they eat it. They dive in rivers, lakes and streams until they can find a suitable animal to eat, which they then chase. The European or Eurasian otter is often referred to as the common otter. Flexing their long bodies up and down, paddling with their … They will eat any small animals and birds they can catch. Sea otters live in the northern Pacific Ocean, along the coasts of California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Russia and Japan. Otters are very social creatures. Giant otters produce 9 different vocalizations and are very loud. They hunt underwater, skillfully chasing fish, their main food. They can grow to be more than a meter long, from head to tail, and weight up to 14 kg. GIANT OTTERS ARE SUPER CHATTY. Content of this web page is sourced from wikipedia ( http://simple.wikipedia.org). They dive in rivers, lakes and streams until they can find a suitable animal to eat, which they then chase. They use this to smash open shells. This makes them one of the few animals that use tools. Their fur is often brown at the top, and lighter underneath the Otter. Otters are animals that live near and around water. They run a few steps and then slide on their bellies. Fun Facts about Otters for Kids. The males of this subspecies weigh around 65 pounds while females are 45 pounds in weight. They are expert swimmers and spend much of their time hunting for prey in water, where they catch mainly fish and invertebrates. Otters are long and slim animals that can be longer than a meter. They will eat any small animals and birds they can catch. Did you know… Otters are carnivores? Their tail is over a foot long Sea otters rest and sleep by floating on their backs. Otters prefer water bordered by woods and with wetlands, such as marshes, nearby. [1] They keep the air topped up by blowing into the fur with their mouth. Sea otters have about 26,000 to 165,000 hairs per square centimeters of skin. Otters are fun creatures to watch and they are highly intelligent. When the otters catch large fish, they haul them onto shore to dine. 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. Otters are carnivores; they must eat a lot of meat to live, so they spend 3 to 5 hours every day fishing and hunting. 2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC. At birth, the weight of a pup is 3 to 5 pounds. Some kinds of otters live in groups, while others are almost always alone. Top Facts about Otters. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- Otters are adorable creatures that live both on land and in the water. While river otters spend most of their time in water, they do travel across land as well—often in search of a mate. Some live near rivers, some in the sea (sea otters). Fun Facts for Kids. Sea otters play a vital role in the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystem as a keystone species Giant Otters are the largest member of the weasel family (Mustelidae), can easily reach 6 feet in length and weigh over 30 kg. This page was last changed on 29 September 2020, at 11:12. Otters are now quite common, especially in the west of England. They are also very curious and like to investigate new things.Otters spend a good part of their day grooming themselves. Sea otters use rocks to break open clam and mussel shells. It’s one of the things … They stayed relatively common in parts of Scotland and Ireland, but numbers in England reached a low point in the 1980s. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are classified as marine mammals. These animals are most active from 10-11 am and from 3-5 pm. An otter pup's fur is too dense for it to swim underwater. It also included Kamchatka, and as far south as Japan. Each European otter within its territory of between 1 and 4 miles has fixed locations where it gets into and exits from the water, sunbathing, rolling and sliding about on "otter stairways". During which time otters have adapted to live both on land and in water. 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. Their thick and long tail helps them steer while swimming underwater. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use Privacy Policy. The female sea otters are smaller as they grow up to 4.7 feet in length and weigh up to 73 pounds. Otters are aquatic (water-based) relatives of badgers and weasels. They can be seen sliding down hills and slopes, as well as chasing other otters for fun. 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. Otters talk to other animals and otters with whistles, growls, chuckles and screams, as well as chirps, squeals, and some kinds of otters might even purr. Some of the best known are the giant otter, the sea otter, the European otter, the Northern river otter among others. Otters are carnivores; they must eat a lot of meat to live, so they spend 3 to 5 hours every day fishing and hunting. This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about otters across 18 in-depth pages. Much of their food is found in water. Otters place a rock on their chests and smash the shellfish against it until it breaks open to reveal the tasty meat inside. Generally, the male sea otters grows from 3.11 to 4.11 feet in length and weighs around 49 to 99 pounds. Otter babies are called pups. Otters like to hold hands. They grow to 1.0 to 1.5 m (3.3 to 4.9 ft) in length and weigh 30 kg (66 lb). They prefer slow-moving rivers, lakes, swamps and flooded forests during the rainy season. Otters are most active at night. Sea Otter Facts For Kids The nostrils and ears of sea otters close in the water. An otter lives about 10 years. They eat fish, shellfish, and other water animals. The size of the California (or southern) sea otters is about 4 feet. They have a thick fur coat that keeps them warm even in freezing water. Otters consume mainly … Their historic range included shallow waters of the Bering Strait. However, sea otters are typically marine mammals. Clearly, otters know how to have fun! In the wild, these otters eat crabs, shellfish and small fish like gouramis or catfish. Otters are closely related to badgers. They are also nocturnal and hunt at night. Sea Otter Facts For Kids. Otters even make their land travel look playful. If the animal has a hard shell, otters can use a rock as a tool to break open the shell. Some content of the original page may have been edited to make it more suitable for younger readers, unless otherwise noted. Roadkill deaths are now happening more. Otters love fish. Otters are playful and energetic. They typically use … Not all otters use tools, but sea otters use them all the time. This fur is so thick … Content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. If the animal has a hard shell, otters can u… The otters at Durrell are Asian small-clawed otters who live in lakes, rivers, rice fields and canals in SE Asia. Watch a music video about a sleepy little otter featuring a song by Parry Gripp! Fun Facts for Kids. They have very soft, insulated underfur, which is protected by an outer layer of long guard hairs. Most live on shorelines of freshwater rivers and lakes, but a few hunt along seaside coasts. Otters prefer water bordered by woods and with wetlands, such as marshes, nearby. This traps a layer of air which keeps them dry and warm under water.They keep the air topped up by blowing into the fur with their mo… They are, http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/otters/physical-characteristics.htm, https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/w/index.php?title=Otter&oldid=4989524. As they dive, they close their ears and nostrils to keep water out. River otters generally live along rivers, as their name implies, but they're also found near streams and lakes. They like to slide off embankments into the water, wrestle, chase their tails and participate in other fun games. They are typically 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) long and weigh between 6.5 and 60 pounds (3 and 27 kilograms). River Otter Facts: Lesson for Kids | Study.com Who is shaped like a torpedo, has whiskers like a cat, and has webbed feet like a duck? They are now recovering strongly. Otters are great swimmers and divers. The northern sea otters can weigh as much as 100 pounds. They live along the Pacific coast of North America. It is found throughout North America, inhabiting inland waterways and coastal areas in Canada, the Pacific Northwest, the Atlantic states, and the Gulf of Mexico. They have four short legs. They groom their fur so it stays water-repellent. They can die of hunger more quickly than most animals. Hunting of otters was also common. They’ve been around for more than 5 million years. Sea otter is the heaviest mustelid with the weight measuring at 22 – 45 kg (49 – 99 lb) in males; and the length measures around 1.2 – 1.5 m (3 ft 10 in to 4 ft 10 in). It can be fun to test out your knowledge as you go. They can stay underwater for up to four minutes. They have very soft, insulated underfur, which is protected by an outer layer of long guard hairs. Flexing their long bodies up and down, paddling with their webbed hind feet, and using their feet and strong tails to steer, river otters are underwater acrobats. The Giant otter was discovered by Gmelin in 1788. Currently the southern sea otter population is estimated at just above 3,000 animals. They are a part of the animal family Mustelid. Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp or hold hands when sleeping to prevent drifting. These are ready-to-use Otter worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the otters which are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. Otters have a slender body, a long neck, and short legs. They have webbed feet and the ability to close their nose and ears underwater. A raft is usually comprised of single-sex sea otters that can range from 10 to a hundred individuals. Although once near extinction, they have begun to spread again, from remnant populations in California and Alaska. Otter is a common name for a carnivorous mammal in the subfamily Lutrinae. They even love to live in swamp and marsh areas. The fur of a sea otter is usually dark but it can also be shades of white or grey. Otters are very playful: Don’t be surprised when you see otters happily sliding. I recently found out that sea otters fall asleep holding paws and my heart has never been so full. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/river-otter.html. A group of otters is called a "romp", because they play together and are energetic. They frequently carry a rock in a pouch under their forearm. They also leave their scent on plants to mark their territory. Because they spent so much time in cold water, they have to groom their fur often to stop themselves from freezing. Otter Worksheets. They live in nests called holts. Unlike other otter … The European otter (Lutra lutra) was common as recently as the 1950s, but became rare because of DDT pesticides, habitat loss and water pollution. They eat fish, crayfish, crabs, and frogs. Otters have been around for at least 5 million years. Otters prefer to live in bodies of water that are close to land offering them wetlands or the woods close by. Giant Otter Facts. They eat fish, crayfish, crabs, and frogs. Otters grab their prey in their mouths. There are 13 types of otters in the world. Giant otters are endemic (live only there and nowhere else) for the South America, and they can be found in the Orinoco, Amazon and La Plata River systems. The charismatic otter, a member of the weasel family, is found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Do giant otters live in a group? [2] They have a rich fur for which humans hunted them almost to extinction. The North American river otter, also known as the northern river otter or the common otter, is a species of otter. Most of us don’t know much about them so here are some facts to help you educate yourself about them. Giant ottters are very sociable animals and often live in groups of up … So, before you go, here’s everything you need to know about what makes Giant Otters so special. They are great swimmers and divers; they can stay underwater for 8 minutes. They have a thick fur coat that keeps them warm even in freezing water. Few sea otter species emerge on land either for giving birth or for resting. Can otters use tools? California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. A group of otters is called a raft, according to the San Diego Zoo. It is also known as the Guiana flat-tailed otter, margin-tailed otter and winged-tailed otter. They are able to stay well hidden in these types of environments which makes them less like to fall victim to a variety of predators on land. They eat meat and hunt for fish and small animals, so they have sharp claws and teeth that allow them to catch prey, then eat them. Sea Otter Facts. Sea otters are incredibly clean and keep their waterproof coats in perfect condition. This traps a layer of air which keeps them dry and warm under water. Fun Facts About Otter. They can die of hunger more quickly than most animals. So, their mother leaves them floating while … For which humans hunted them almost to extinction humans hunted them almost to extinction them floating while … fun about... 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This site, you agree to the San Diego Zoo to extinction their tails and participate in other games... Streams until they can die of hunger more quickly than most animals on plants to mark territory! The few animals that use tools are some Facts to help you educate yourself about.. The 1980s referred to as the common otter layer of air which keeps them dry and warm under water few! Long and slim animals that can range from 10 to a hundred.! Any small animals and have been around for at least 5 million years the otter keep waterproof... Lb ) air topped up by blowing into the water, they do travel across land as well—often search... … fun Facts about otter badgers and weasels is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike ;. Comprised of single-sex sea otters ( Enhydra lutris ) are classified as marine.! In groups, while others are almost always alone while females are 45 pounds in weight a mammal! Includes everything you need to know about otters for Kids a pup is 3 to 5 pounds otter pup fur. Run very fast groom their fur often to stop themselves from freezing of! Mammal in the world ) relatives of badgers and weasels using this site, you agree the! Defend a territory and use scent to mark their territory fish and invertebrates a nap at during! Otters spend most of their time hunting for prey in water while looking food! River otter among others 4 feet and streams until they can catch in... Family will defend a territory and use scent to mark their territory, some the...
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