Otter
Subfamily Lutrinae · Mammal, mustelid
From the Capy Learning Corner encyclopedia
- Native range
- Thirteen species of otters live on every continent except Australia and Antarctica, from rivers and lakes to kelp coastlines.
- Size
- From the roughly 10 pound Asian small clawed otter to giants several times that.
- Lifespan
- Commonly into their teens in professional care.
- Conservation
- Varies by species; several otter species are threatened, and the pet trade pressures the smallest ones.
Little Learners Corner
Otters play games like sliding and wrestling, and playing is actually how they practice being great swimmers.
Say it like a scientist: loo-TRY-nee
Where They Live
Otters are semi aquatic hunters that den along banks and shores. Clean water is everything to them, which makes otters living indicators of a healthy waterway.
What They Eat
Carnivore. Fish, crayfish, crabs, frogs, and shellfish, depending on the species.
How They Live
Playfulness is real and functional: sliding, wrestling, and juggling stones build the coordination hunting demands. Some species live in large romping family groups.
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Otters as Pets?
Viral videos have made small otters a coveted exotic pet, and the trade is devastating wild populations in parts of Asia. An otter needs water, a family group, and a fish budget no apartment can offer.
Fun Facts
Otter fur is the densest of any animal, up to a million hairs per square inch in sea otters.
Many otters use rocks as tools to crack open shellfish.
River otters can close their ears and nostrils underwater and stay down for minutes at a time.
Capy Quiz: Prove It
Why are otters so playful?
Keep exploring: Ring Tailed Lemur came before this, Porcupine is next, or head back to the full Animal Encyclopedia.
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