interesting facts about otters

While floating on their backs, sea otters not only nap, but also use rocks to help them . Source: The little Book of Otter Philosophy, Home and Environment. A science journalist's journey along the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska to track the status, health, habits, personality, and viability of sea otters--the appealing species unique to this coastline that was hunted to near ... In fact, looking this good can take up to six hours! They may sometimes come to shore, but they spend the majority of time in the water, hanging around kelp forests. River otters are a "sentinel species, " meaning their presence, or lack of, indicate the health of an ecosystem. Members of the otter family include the South American giant otter — which . Females are slightly smaller. Fun Facts. River otters spend two-thirds of the time on land and can run at a speed of 29 km/hour. Learn about otters as you follow a day in the life of a little otter!-- As the world becomes more and more polluted otter populations become more and more at risk. Ever Wondered What the Opposite of an Albino Animal is? Find out more about this beautiful mammal. Found inside – Page 12160 “They're cute ... but” suggests that the aesthetic appeal of sea otters is what is most important about them, a conception that complicates efforts to ... Found insideHans Kruuk offers a meticulous survey of otter species and recent research into their ecology, covering all 13 species worldwide & emphasising conservation management initiatives. Otter is a common name for a carnivorous mammal in the subfamily Lutrinae. Sea otters have the densest fur of all mammals with up to 1 million hairs per square inch. Approximately 90% of the world's sea otter population lives in coastal Alaska. "Creatures of the Sea explores the many animals found in Earth's oceans, providing interesting facts about their habitats, adaptations, and challenges"-- On an adult animal, there are an estimated 650,000 hairs per square inch. Join us and discover 5 fascinating facts about Giant Otters to celebrate World Otter Day! They weigh just 1-1.5kg (2.25-11lb) The back feet of this species is fully webbed and the front feet are partially webbed. Found insideYoung readers will learn where sea otters live and how they affect their environment, their role in the food web, and the dangers they face. The book ends with a Fun Facts page, a quiz, and a glossary. Otters are usually found in small family groups with the mother and her young offspring. The story is followed by two pages of fun facts about river otters as well as information and resources from the River Otter Ecology Project. Otters have the densest fur of the animal kingdom. Fun facts about Amazon rainforest's Native Giant River Otter. Their body measures 45-61cm (18-24in) with the tail adding a further 25-35cm (10-14in). Otters reach sexual maturity between 2 to 5 years. Otters are the dogs of the water world, so it’s no small wonder that we humans have such affection for them. River otters are much more likely to take another animal’s home instead of building their own. Sea otters often float at the water's surface in forests of kelp, or giant seaweed, and entangle themselves to keep from moving in the rolling sea. Source: The Little Book of Otter Philosophy. Otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which is a family of carnivorous mammals that includes skunks, weasels, wolverines, and badgers. All otter species appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and only one is listed as "least concern." Learn 15 more facts about these fascinating mammals. Here are 16 Interesting Otter facts. The more commonly seen species in Singapore is the smooth-coated otter. Otters spend a large amount of time in the water, yet they still have fur. Otters are adorable creatures that live both on land and in the water. An agile hunter of fish, learn more about this carnivorous, semi-aquatic mammal, including how to identify each species, habitat, diet and other key species facts. Otters thrive on land and in the water. In fact, the metabolic rate of a river otter is about 50% higher than that of a land animal of a similar size, according to SeaWorld. Otters are Team Players: Did you know otters love to relax in a group setting? It can close its ears and nostrils underwater. Otters? They have this practice to make sure that they do not float away from each other when they are sleeping in the water. However, the reason that otters will spend time cleaning themselves is so that their fur will remain buoyant (keeping them afloat) and dry. 4. Scientists say that its smell is like that of violets. Otters consume mainly fish but many people think that they eat plants and berries. Gestation period is 2 months for some species to 6 months for sea otters. A group of otters are called a bevy, family, lodge, or romp, or, when in water the group is called a raft. The words for the Circle It word search are in bold within the text. All of the Facts series of Circle It word search books contain a wide variety of community contributed information that is useful, interesting, and fun. Get yours today. One of the quirkiest, and cutest traits about the sea otters is that sea otters hold hands when sleeping. 5. Ten fun facts about Otters. Frolicking baby otters emerge from their den in the springtime and enjoy games of chasing, sliding, swimming, jumping, catching fish, and grooming themselves throughout the seasons of the year. Sea otters juggle rocks when they're bored! You’d think this would pose a problem for a species which spends the majority of its time either in water, or hunting in water, but apparently not! Describes the chain of events which occur on a kelp bed when the sea otter population is destroyed by hunters. Interesting facts about sea otters. Here are seven facts you otter know about this South American member of the Mustelidae family. Smooth-coated otters are also known by many other names. A female otter can have one up to six babies per litter. As the name suggests, the giant otter is the world's largest otter species and is well-known from wildlife documentaries. River otters are considered as a versatile animal because they can live on . You'll learn about its habitat, as well as some adaptations and interesting facts about its behavior. Otters are pretty exciting animals that are good swimmers, well-adapting animals, and agile hunters of fish. Fact 2. Some say it’s the least offensive smelling poo of the animal kingdom, while others say it’s the absolute worst. They’re incredibly adorable, playing around with each other all the time and seeming to not have a care in the world. European river otters have sleek, dark brown fur and the color is often light and paler on the underside. Found insideA story of learning, growing up and developing independence, set in the North Pacific. Sea otters are part of the weasel family. Found insideOtters are some of the most delightful animals on the planet. It’s All About Looking Good: The sea otter will spend much of its time grooming itself. In this lesson, we'll look at an otter species native to parts of Asia: the smooth-coated otter. What are the Different Types of Stem Cells? Usually, a single baby (called a pup) is produced following 4 to 5 months of pregnancy. Otter Cafes: In Japan or areas of Asia, “Otter Cafes” have become a popular commodity. Otters come in all shapes and sizes. Fun Facts About Sea Otters. Their Latin name, Enhydra lutris, means "in water otter". Sea otters are mammals that live in the sea. Giant Otter Facts. Otters Hold Hands. They can grow to be more than a meter long, from head to tail, and weight up to 14 kg. More like squatters! Its fur is the densest of any animal on Earth—an estimated 1 . Examples of natural hollows include those in riverbanks, under logs, hollow trees and logs, rock formations, undercut banks, flood debris, and backwater sloughs. Otters are well adapted to life on both land and in water, and have webbed feet for swimming, dense fur for warmth, and can close their ears and nose underwater. Possibly no animal has more of a reputation for its playful nature than the river otter. A sea otter relies on its fur to keep warm because it doesnt have an insulating layer of blubber as other marine mammals do. They have long streamlined bodies, thick tails, and little webbed feet. Luckily, he's adopted by a pod of beluga whales who treat Mel as if he were one of their own. Inspired by actual events, The Lost Narwhal is a story about embracing your uniqueness and learning what it means to feel accepted. Here are some interesting facts about otters:: 1. Otters are fun creatures to watch and they are highly intelligent. 9. Depending on the type of otter they can hold their breath for up to eight minutes. Here are the physical characteristics of the River Otter. Facts about River Otters 2: a versatile animal. Each day they consume 25% of their body weight. Otters are part of the Mustelid family of animals which also includes badgers, pine martens and weasels. Males are larger in size than females (see photos). Sea otters inhabit temperate coastal waters with rocky or soft sediment ocean bottom. Fun Facts Baby otter births typically will occur from the months of November to May. Almost all otters have webbed feet, some more webbed than others, and they can close off their ears and nose as they swim underwater. Jaguars are said to be their only predator. Tagged Sea Otter: photo by Cherilyn Chin Here are 10 Amazing Sea Otter Facts: 1. They love their life and even humans to a considerable extent. Found insideBestselling author Jonathan London tells Pup’s story in sparse, poetic text with vivid vocabulary while luminous illustrations by London’s son, Sean London, bring the adorable Pup and his loving mother to life within the swirling sea ... - Source 2. Sea otters (genus Enhydra) are found in coastal waters of the North Pacific, rarely more than 1 km (0.6 mi.) Fun Facts. Sea otters can hold their breath underwater for more than 5 minutes, and river otters can hold theirs for more than 8 minutes! On an adult animal, there are an estimated , hairs per square inch. Typically, otters will hunt at night. For one of the smallest marine mammals on Earth (yet the largest member of the weasel family), the sea otter has racked up quite a few superlatives: 10. Sea otters eat many of the same things, but mostly sea urchins, abalone, crabs, fish, octopuses, mussels, and clams. Jaguars are said to be their only predator. Groups of sea otters are called 'rafts'. An up-close look at life in a sea otter rescue center The female otter will usually have between 1 and 6 pups depending on the species. 2. Check out our range of fun otter facts for kids. Photo credit: Douglas Croft. For instance, otters make use of rocks and other hard objects to pry open the shells of shellfish. The male species of Giant Otter is between 1.5 and 1.7 m in length from head to tail and the female species is between 1 and 1.5 m. The well-muscled tail of the Giant Otter can add a further 70 cm to the total body length. They generally live along rivers, as their name implies, but they . A river otter rests in a river after searching for his favorite meal of fish. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Photo source: Wikipedia. Sea otter pup fur is shed by the time they are approximately 13 weeks old. This book contains interesting facts with fun pictures of Sea Otters. We have 2 species of otters in Singapore. This animal is the longest species in the mustelid family. 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. 1. 90% of sea otters live on the coast of Alaska. Otters also have long, slightly flattened tails that move sideways to propel them through the water while their back feet act like rudders to steer. These friendly creatures can be seen relaxing in groups from ten to hundreds. Groups of otters are sometimes seen splish-splashing and slipping and sliding all around the rivers and riverbanks where they live. Other places you will find them lingering include around rivers, streams, and lakes. One of the interesting facts is that they are one of the few mammals who know the use of tools. Otters are known to be pretty incredible hunters, living off a diet of mostly seafood. Dolphins Can Get High. Sea otters don't have blubber or fat to keep them warm like other marine mammals. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are classified as marine mammals.They live along the Pacific coast of North America.Their historic range included shallow waters of the Bering Strait.It also included Kamchatka, and as far south as Japan.Sea otters have about 26,000 to 165,000 hairs per square centimeters of skin. When otters dive, they seal their ears and nose. Sea otters play a vital role in the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystem as a keystone species 16 Playful Facts About Otters. Otters survive by hunting, and as such they live in unpolluted waters. Start with a sweet story about a sea otter named Owen who learns to body surf, with a special otter twist. Then, flip over the book for a nonfiction exploration of real-life otters, including photos, infographics, and fun facts! Protect endangered species Act since 1977 on otters Bay Aquarium & # x27 ; s Great Tide Pool loses insulating. Back and sides and can run up to 12 years except for the first two months they. 4.9 feet ( 1.5 m ) and 45 kg ( 99.2 lb ) can reach 1.8 m ( ft. Sides and can run at a speed of about 6 miles per hour on land either be sows! Life and even humans to a considerable extent they consume 25 % of the weasel family, is. That the CIA studied otters in groups 5 years the chain of which... 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