Information on Otters
Otters are semi-aquatic members of the weasel family, divided into 13 total subspecies. The most commonly known are the sea otter and North American river otter, both of which share their elongated body style and playful antics with the rest of their cousins around the world. Several of the 13 species of otter are considered threatened due to illegal hunting and fur trapping, as well as habitat loss and competition for food from non-native species. Today, efforts are increasing to help keep the remaining otter species alive and well across the globe.
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Appearance
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All otters share a similar appearance: a weasel-like, streamlined body, short but powerful legs, webbed toes and dense fur. Otters have the densest fur of any known mammal: roughly a million hairs per square inch of skin. Most otters are generally around three feet long and between 30 and 40 pounds, but there is a great deal of diversity in the otter family. The Oriental small-clawed otter is generally under two feet in length and 10 pounds in weight, while South America's giant river otter can be six feet long and weigh in at 70 pounds.
Habitat
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Otters are distributed across most of the globe, though each species requires somewhat specialized areas within their range. Most river otters, for example, prefer streams with gently sloping access to the water rather than steep ledges which make entry difficult. All otters require water to hunt, bathe and play in, but most otters spend at least a portion of their day playing or sleeping on land. The exception to this is the sea otter, which sleeps by wrapping a few strands of kelp around itself to act as an anchor against the ocean tides.
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Diet
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Otters are carnivores who feed on a variety of locally available prey items. Frogs, mollusks, snails, clams and small mammals are favored by most freshwater otters, while sea otters are known to eat a wide assortment of crabs, mussels and sea urchins. Sea otters have even been observed cracking open particularly spiny prey using a rock carefully balanced on their stomachs as they float in the current.
Behavior
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Otters are incurably playful, and even more solitary species such as North American river otters have frequent and exuberant wrestling matches when they are pups. Both sea otters and South American river otters are examples of more communal species, where play and group interaction is a large part of their daily lives. Adolescent and sub adult South American otters have even been observed caring for other otters' offspring while the adults hunt.
Threats
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Habitat destruction and degradation are the two primary threats to otters worldwide. Because they rely so heavily on waterways to survive, any activity that directly impacts water quality can have devastating effects on otter populations. Overfishing and pollution damage otter food sources, while oil spills and dumping cause damage to the otter's delicate waterproof coat. As global awareness increases, otter numbers may still be able to recover.
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References
- Photo Credit otter image by Darren Ager from Fotolia.com
