Hunting of otters was also common. Did you know… Otters are carnivores? Unlike other otter … Fun Facts for Kids. Once they catch it, they bring it to the top of the water, where they eat it. 2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC. They have a thick fur coat that keeps them warm even in freezing water. Sea otter is the heaviest mustelid with the weight measuring at 22 – 45 kg (49 – 99 lb) in males; and the length measures around 1.2 – 1.5 m (3 ft 10 in to 4 ft 10 in). Fun Facts About Otter. Otters prefer water bordered by woods and with wetlands, such as marshes, nearby. 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. Giant Otter Facts. Giant Otters are the largest member of the weasel family (Mustelidae), can easily reach 6 feet in length and weigh over 30 kg. This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about otters across 18 in-depth pages. The female sea otters are smaller as they grow up to 4.7 feet in length and weigh up to 73 pounds. Sea Otter Facts. They have webbed feet and the ability to close their nose and ears underwater. Content of this web page is sourced from wikipedia ( http://simple.wikipedia.org). The northern sea otters can weigh as much as 100 pounds. Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp or hold hands when sleeping to prevent drifting. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/river-otter.html. Sea otters play a vital role in the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystem as a keystone species The European otter (Lutra lutra) was common as recently as the 1950s, but became rare because of DDT pesticides, habitat loss and water pollution. It is also known as the Guiana flat-tailed otter, margin-tailed otter and winged-tailed otter. Most of us don’t know much about them so here are some facts to help you educate yourself about them. During which time otters have adapted to live both on land and in water. They will eat any small animals and birds they can catch. A raft is usually comprised of single-sex sea otters that can range from 10 to a hundred individuals. The European or Eurasian otter is often referred to as the common otter. These are ready-to-use Otter worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the otters which are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. Although once near extinction, they have begun to spread again, from remnant populations in California and Alaska. At birth, the weight of a pup is 3 to 5 pounds. An otter family will defend a territory and use scent to mark the territory boundaries. Otters like to hold hands. Flexing their long bodies up and down, paddling with their webbed hind feet, and using their feet and strong tails to steer, river otters are underwater acrobats. Roadkill deaths are now happening more. Otters are playful and energetic. Otters are carnivores; they must eat a lot of meat to live, so they spend 3 to 5 hours every day fishing and hunting. They are a part of the animal family Mustelid. There are many different kinds of otters. The Giant otter was discovered by Gmelin in 1788. Some content of the original page may have been edited to make it more suitable for younger readers, unless otherwise noted. Otters are very playful animals and have been seen sliding down snowdrifts or mud banks on their bellies. They can die of hunger more quickly than most animals. Otters prefer water bordered by woods and with wetlands, such as marshes, nearby. They grow to 1.0 to 1.5 m (3.3 to 4.9 ft) in length and weigh 30 kg (66 lb). An otter pup's fur is too dense for it to swim underwater. Otters are great swimmers and divers. Fun Facts for Kids. They usually stay on all four legs, but they can stand up as well but they are expert swimmers and spend a lot of time in water. Giant otter belongs to a family of carnivorous mammals called mustelid. While river otters spend most of their time in water, they do travel across land as well—often in search of a mate. They prefer slow-moving rivers, lakes, swamps and flooded forests during the rainy season. River otters generally live along rivers, as their name implies, but they're also found near streams and lakes. Otters are closely related to badgers. Otters have a slender body, a long neck, and short legs. They have very soft, insulated underfur, which is protected by an outer layer of long guard hairs. A group of otters is called a raft, according to the San Diego Zoo. There are 13 types of otters in the world. There are 13 species of otter around the world and many of them are endangered. All rights reserved. Otters live on every continent except for Australia and Antarctica. They like to slide off embankments into the water, wrestle, chase their tails and participate in other fun games. Do giant otters live in a group? Clearly, otters know how to have fun! Otter is a common name for a carnivorous mammal in the subfamily Lutrinae. Otters prefer to live in bodies of water that are close to land offering them wetlands or the woods close by. However, sea otters are typically marine mammals. Otters are long and slim animals with four short legs that can be longer than a meter. In 2014, a study of giant otters found that the river-dwellers … Otters are part of the Mustelid family of animals which also includes badgers, pine martens and weasels. They take a nap at mid-day during really warm weather. The charismatic otter, a member of the weasel family, is found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Can otters use tools? They eat meat and hunt for fish and small animals, so they have sharp claws and teeth that allow them to catch prey, then eat them. [2] They have a rich fur for which humans hunted them almost to extinction. They are able to stay well hidden in these types of environments which makes them less like to fall victim to a variety of predators on land. These animals are most active from 10-11 am and from 3-5 pm. Top Facts about Otters. [1] They keep the air topped up by blowing into the fur with their mouth. A group of otters are called a 'bevy', 'family', 'lodge', or 'romp', or, when in water the group is called a … River Otter Facts: Lesson for Kids | Study.com Who is shaped like a torpedo, has whiskers like a cat, and has webbed feet like a duck? The size of the California (or southern) sea otters is about 4 feet. They can stay underwater for up to four minutes. Their fur is often brown at the top, and lighter underneath the Otter. They can grow to be more than a meter long, from head to tail, and weight up to 14 kg. Otters have been around for at least 5 million years. Sea otters use rocks to break open clam and mussel shells. They are typically 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) long and weigh between 6.5 and 60 pounds (3 and 27 kilograms). It also included Kamchatka, and as far south as Japan. A group of otters is called a "romp", because they play together and are energetic. Their thick and long tail helps them steer while swimming underwater. Otters can dive 300 feet down in water while looking for food. They typically use … They hunt underwater, skillfully chasing fish, their main food. Most live on shorelines of freshwater rivers and lakes, but a few hunt along seaside coasts. Otter Worksheets. Once they catch it, they bring it to the top of the water, where they eat it. Otters live 8 to 9 years in the wilderness, and as many as 21 years when living with people. Sea otters live in the northern Pacific Ocean, along the coasts of California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Russia and Japan. They can die of hunger more quickly than most animals. Also, their feet are webbed, which helps them swim. They stayed relatively common in parts of Scotland and Ireland, but numbers in England reached a low point in the 1980s. Scientists have also learnt a whole lot more from otters including these five fast facts: There are 13 species of otter. Otters even make their land travel look playful. They usually stay on all four legs, but they can stand up as well but they are expert swimmers and spend a lot of time in water. This makes them one of the few animals that use tools. Otter babies are called pups. Sea Otter Facts For Kids The nostrils and ears of sea otters close in the water. Much of their food is found in water. They have four short legs. Some kinds of otters live in groups, while others are almost always alone. Some live near rivers, some in the sea (sea otters). There are 13 species of otter found all around the world. They are expert swimmers and spend much of their time hunting for prey in water, where they catch mainly fish and invertebrates. Because they spent so much time in cold water, they have to groom their fur often to stop themselves from freezing. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use Privacy Policy. This traps a layer of air which keeps them dry and warm under water.They keep the air topped up by blowing into the fur with their mo… If the animal has a hard shell, otters can use a rock as a tool to break open the shell. Content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. The fur of a sea otter is usually dark but it can also be shades of white or grey. They have very soft, insulated underfur, which is protected by an outer layer of long guard hairs. It can be fun to test out your knowledge as you go. Amazing Facts About the Otter. It is found throughout North America, inhabiting inland waterways and coastal areas in Canada, the Pacific Northwest, the Atlantic states, and the Gulf of Mexico. Otters talk to other animals and otters with whistles, growls, chuckles and screams, as well as chirps, squeals, and some kinds of otters might even purr. The otters at Durrell are Asian small-clawed otters who live in lakes, rivers, rice fields and canals in SE Asia. Otters are most active at night. Otters are carnivores; they must eat a lot of meat to live, so they spend 3 to 5 hours every day fishing and hunting. This traps a layer of air which keeps them dry and warm under water. They dive in rivers, lakes and streams until they can find a suitable animal to eat, which they then chase. It's a river otter! This fur is so thick … Otters are very playful: Don’t be surprised when you see otters happily sliding. Few sea otter species emerge on land either for giving birth or for resting. It’s one of the things … California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. On they ground, they can run very fast. They live along the Pacific coast of North America. I recently found out that sea otters fall asleep holding paws and my heart has never been so full. Watch a music video about a sleepy little otter featuring a song by Parry Gripp! Some of the best known are the giant otter, the sea otter, the European otter, the Northern river otter among others. Otters consume mainly … They also love to play. GIANT OTTERS ARE SUPER CHATTY. They use this to smash open shells. They are, http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/otters/physical-characteristics.htm, https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/w/index.php?title=Otter&oldid=4989524. Sea Otter Facts For Kids. They will eat any small animals and birds they can catch. An otter lives about 10 years. Otters are adorable creatures that live both on land and in the water. 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