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 are very social creatures. This page was last changed on 29 September 2020, at 11:12. Did you know… Otters are carnivores? They can grow to be more than a meter long, from head to tail, and weight up to 14 kg. Giant otter belongs to a family of carnivorous mammals called mustelid. Sea otters are incredibly clean and keep their waterproof coats in perfect condition. They will eat any small animals and birds they can catch. They live along the Pacific coast of North America. Otters like to hold hands. They dive in rivers, lakes and streams until they can find a suitable animal to eat, which they then chase. The fur of a sea otter is usually dark but it can also be shades of white or grey. Some content of the original page may have been edited to make it more suitable for younger readers, unless otherwise noted. 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. I recently found out that sea otters fall asleep holding paws and my heart has never been so full. It's a river otter! Otters are playful and energetic. In the wild, these otters eat crabs, shellfish and small fish like gouramis or catfish. Otters place a rock on their chests and smash the shellfish against it until it breaks open to reveal the tasty meat inside. They also love to play. They are a part of the animal family Mustelid. Otters are closely related to badgers. They are expert swimmers and spend much of their time hunting for prey in water, where they catch mainly fish and invertebrates. California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. During which time otters have adapted to live both on land and in water. 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 fish, crayfish, crabs, and frogs. They can stay underwater for up to four minutes. They dive in rivers, lakes and streams until they can find a suitable animal to eat, which they then chase. Few sea otter species emerge on land either for giving birth or for resting. This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about otters across 18 in-depth pages. Otter babies are called pups. As they dive, they close their ears and nostrils to keep water out. They are also very curious and like to investigate new things.Otters spend a good part of their day grooming themselves. Hunting of otters was also common. They live in nests called holts. These are ready-to-use Otter worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the otters which are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. Flexing their long bodies up and down, paddling with their … They are also nocturnal and hunt at night. 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". The Giant otter was discovered by Gmelin in 1788. 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. Currently the southern sea otter population is estimated at just above 3,000 animals. They even love to live in swamp and marsh areas. Otters have a slender body, a long neck, and short legs. Otters are adorable creatures that live both on land and in the water. Scientists have also learnt a whole lot more from otters including these five fast facts: There are 13 species of otter. Most of us don’t know much about them so here are some facts to help you educate yourself about them. There are 13 species of otter around the world and many of them are endangered. Otters are animals that live near and around water. A group of otters is called a "romp", because they play together and are energetic. They groom their fur so it stays water-repellent. Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp or hold hands when sleeping to prevent drifting. A group of otters is called a raft, according to the San Diego Zoo. 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. They run a few steps and then slide on their bellies. The males of this subspecies weigh around 65 pounds while females are 45 pounds in weight. 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. 2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Otters are fun creatures to watch and they are highly intelligent. Otters are aquatic (water-based) relatives of badgers and weasels. Fun Facts for Kids. The European or Eurasian otter is often referred to as the common otter. Otter Worksheets. 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… Their fur is often brown at the top, and lighter underneath the Otter. They have very soft, insulated underfur, which is protected by an outer layer of long guard hairs. Giant ottters are very sociable animals and often live in groups of up … If the animal has a hard shell, otters can use a rock as a tool to break open the shell. 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. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- They prefer slow-moving rivers, lakes, swamps and flooded forests during the rainy season. An otter family will defend a territory and use scent to mark the territory boundaries. Otters live 8 to 9 years in the wilderness, and as many as 21 years when living with people. 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. Otters consume mainly … Content of this web page is sourced from wikipedia ( http://simple.wikipedia.org). Sea otters have about 26,000 to 165,000 hairs per square centimeters of skin. They will eat any small animals and birds they can catch. When the otters catch large fish, they haul them onto shore to dine. At birth, the weight of a pup is 3 to 5 pounds. They can die of hunger more quickly than most animals. Unlike other otter … Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are classified as marine mammals. An otter pup's fur is too dense for it to swim underwater. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use Privacy Policy. They have webbed feet and the ability to close their nose and ears underwater. Roadkill deaths are now happening more. On they ground, they can run very fast. Some of the best known are the giant otter, the sea otter, the European otter, the Northern river otter among others. While river otters spend most of their time in water, they do travel across land as well—often in search of a mate. Their historic range included shallow waters of the Bering Strait. It’s one of the things … They like to slide off embankments into the water, wrestle, chase their tails and participate in other fun games. Their thick and long tail helps them steer while swimming underwater. It also included Kamchatka, and as far south as Japan. They are great swimmers and divers; they can stay underwater for 8 minutes. Although once near extinction, they have begun to spread again, from remnant populations in California and Alaska. There are 13 species of otter found all around the world. Sea Otter Facts. However, sea otters are typically marine mammals. They eat fish, crayfish, crabs, and frogs. Because they spent so much time in cold water, they have to groom their fur often to stop themselves from freezing. A raft is usually comprised of single-sex sea otters that can range from 10 to a hundred individuals. An otter lives about 10 years. Giant otters produce 9 different vocalizations and are very loud. The northern sea otters can weigh as much as 100 pounds. Sea otters live in the northern Pacific Ocean, along the coasts of California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Russia and Japan. Otters are carnivores; they must eat a lot of meat to live, so they spend 3 to 5 hours every day fishing and hunting. Otters are long and slim animals with four short legs that can be longer than a meter. They have a thick fur coat that keeps them warm even in freezing water. Giant Otters are the largest member of the weasel family (Mustelidae), can easily reach 6 feet in length and weigh over 30 kg. 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. Sea otters play a vital role in the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystem as a keystone species 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? Fun Facts for Kids. Do giant otters live in a group? Amazing Facts About the Otter. Some live near rivers, some in the sea (sea otters). Otters are very playful: Don’t be surprised when you see otters happily sliding. The European otter (Lutra lutra) was common as recently as the 1950s, but became rare because of DDT pesticides, habitat loss and water pollution. GIANT OTTERS ARE SUPER CHATTY. They have a thick fur coat that keeps them warm even in freezing water. Otters prefer to live in bodies of water that are close to land offering them wetlands or the woods close by. River otters generally live along rivers, as their name implies, but they're also found near streams and lakes. Sea Otter Facts For Kids The nostrils and ears of sea otters close in the water. Otters are long and slim animals that can be longer than a meter. Otters grab their prey in their mouths. Otters are now quite common, especially in the west of England. So, before you go, here’s everything you need to know about what makes Giant Otters so special. The size of the California (or southern) sea otters is about 4 feet. Once they catch it, they bring it to the top of the water, where they eat it. They take a nap at mid-day during really warm weather. Watch a music video about a sleepy little otter featuring a song by Parry Gripp! They typically use … They grow to 1.0 to 1.5 m (3.3 to 4.9 ft) in length and weigh 30 kg (66 lb). Generally, the male sea otters grows from 3.11 to 4.11 feet in length and weighs around 49 to 99 pounds. 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. This fur is so thick … Otters even make their land travel look playful. They are now recovering strongly. The charismatic otter, a member of the weasel family, is found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. In search of a mate web page is sourced from wikipedia (:... Least 5 million years a rich fur for which humans hunted them almost to extinction asleep paws... 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