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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing otters. It’s generally accepted that there are thirteen species of otters alive today. These adorable little water noodles live on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. Most otter species live in freshwater though two are considered marine. These marine species can be found about 330 feet (100m) or more offshore while freshwater species make their homes around lakes, rivers, and streams. These animals are unique in that the marine variants look a lot like the freshwater types. In other water-loving mammals, the difference between the marine species and the freshwater species tends to be more obvious - dolphins are a prime example of this with freshwater dolphins having longer beaks than their saltwater counterparts.

Otters are part of the Mustelids which is a family of carnivorous mammals that includes animals like skunks, martens, and ferrets among others. While most otters require a permanent source of water to survive, they are considered semi-aquatic and need land for most of their activities; sea otters are described as truly aquatic because they can perform all their activities without the need of land. Other otters live near water, spend a lot of their time in water, and travel via water but they can travel across land if needed and may perform other behaviors on land such as resting and eating.

Freshwater otters rest in underground holes, beaver lodges, dense vegetation, and more. While in the water they’re often in search of prey. Prey to otters includes fish, crabs and other crustaceans, frogs, and marine invertebrates like sea urchins. Something amazing to note is that sea otter skeletons can turn purple because they eat so many sea urchins throughout their lives! This is similar to how flamingos turn pink due their own diets!

These critters are known for their playful behavior and attitude. Many live in family groups or even gregarious packs that can number over a thousand like with sea otters, though some live solitary lives. They’ll often twist and turn through the water or slip and slide on land, sometimes accidentally getting wet in the process. Otters protect against cold water with fur instead of blubber like other marine mammals.

Their fur comes in two layers with outer guard hairs that are waterproof and inner dense hair that acts as insulation. This type of fur is highly valued among fur traders and is in part why otter populations are declining. In fact, according to the IUCN red list of endangered species, there isn’t a single otter species alive today NOT facing population declines. Besides other human-related factors like habitat destruction, otter predators include crocodiles and caimans, birds of prey, coyotes, anacondas, wild cats, and more.

In size, otters range from the tiny 6.6 pound (3kg) Asian small-clawed otter, to the sea otter who can reach nearly 100 pounds (45kg) in weight! Funny enough, there’s a species commonly known as the giant otter but they don’t get quite as heavy as the sea otter. Generally male otters are larger than females. Sometimes they form monogamous pairs such as with the smooth coated otter, but other species like northern river otters only form pairs during the breeding season and then part ways. Otters typically gestate for two months and give birth to two to five babies. The babies remain with their mother for at least six months though some may stick around for more than a year. In the wild, otters live to be about ten years old.

For more facts on otters, check out the links in the description. Thank you to Braden for today’s request! Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!