Facts about Otters
They are infact fish-eating, semi-aquatic mammals. They have a very soft underfur which is protected by their outer layer of long guard hair. This traps a layer of air, and keeps them dry and warm under water. They have webbed paws. In some Native American cultures, otters are considered totem animals. When sea otters groom their fur, they push air bubbles down toward their skin. The resulting air pockets help with buoyancy and staying warm. The otter is held to be a clean animal belonging to Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrian belief, and taboo to kill. There are 13 otter species: giant, marine, sea, hairy-nosed, smooth-coated, speckle-throated, northern river, southern river, neotropical river, African clawless, Congo clawless, Asian small-clawed and Eurasian. Male otters are dog-otters, females are bitches and babies are called cubs or pups. Otters do not depend on their specialized fur alone for survival in the cold waters where many live: they also have very high metabolic rates. For example Eurasian otters must eat 15% of their body-weight a day, and sea otters 20 to 25%, depending on the temperature. In water as warm as 10°C (50°F) an otter needs to catch 100 grams (3 oz) of fish per hour to survive. Most species hunt for 3 to 5 hours a day, and nursing mothers up to 8 hours a day. The giant otter is the most vocal of the otter species. It has many distinct vocalizations, including those for alarm, aggressiveness and reassurance. An otter's den is called a holt. The collective noun for otters is pack or sometimes romp, being descriptive of their often playful nature. |
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