Otter Facts

Otters are members of the weasel family. There are 13 species throughout the world including the northern river otter, sea otter, Eurasian otter and the giant otter.

  1. Characteristics

    • Otters have short legs, long bodies and webbed feet. With the exception of the sea otter, all have long muscular tails. Unlike other marine mammals, otters don't have blubber and rely on thick fur to keep warm. The otter's double coat also keeps it afloat.

    Habitat

    • Otters live near rivers, lakes, swamps and coastal ocean regions. They make burrows near the water's edge or, in the case of the sea otters, in the ocean itself. They are equally at home on land as in the water.

    Diet

    • Otters thrive on fish but also will eat amphibians, reptiles, abalone, sea urchins, crayfish, turtles and crabs. Because of its high metabolism and lack of blubber, a sea otter needs to eat about 25 percent of its body weight in food each day.

    Lifestyle

    • Sea otters usually have only one pup per season, while river otters may have up to six. The average lifespan is between 9 and 15 years. River otters are very playful and can be seen sliding down muddy or snowy slopes, or frolicking in the water.

    Fun Facts

    • The giant otter can reach lengths up to 6 feet. Otter mothers teach pups to swim by pushing them into the water. An otter can hold its breath under water for up to eight minutes. Its dense coat contains as many as 650,000 hairs per square inch. Otters are one of the few mammals that are known to use tools.