Are you curious to learn some weird and wonderful facts about otters?
If so, excellent! You are in exactly the right place my friend…
It’s time to chat about otter facts.
Let’s dive right in…
Facts About Otters
1 – The word otter comes from the Old English word, otor or oter, which means “stream animal” and was first documented in 1201.
2 – Otters have been observed eating clams, crabs, fish, snails, frogs and even small birds. In captivity otters seem to need more than one type of food source in order for them to be healthy.
3 – Female otters usually give birth about every 2 years; males typically live longer than females (upwards of 20 years).
4 – If you see an otter, it’s probably not alone – they live in groups called rafts or clans of up to 25 individuals. A group of otters is called an ‘observation’ – because they watch other animals without being seen themselves.
5 – They sleep about 12 hours per day on average and will sleep with their head above the surface of the water so they can breathe while they nap.
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6 – They have extremely sensitive hearing and will react if there is a noise as low as 10 decibels.
7 – Male otters are called “boars” while females are called “sows”.
8 – Otters have webbed feet and thick fur to help them stay warm when they’re swimming around in cold water.
9 – Otters have been hunted for their pelts for centuries – in fact, there were once more than 100 million otters around the world but now there are less than one million left in North America because of hunting and pollution.
10 – Female otters usually give birth to one to three babies at a time and will nurse them until they’re ready to hunt on their own when they’re about six months old. Only about 2% of otter births involve multiple offspring.
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11 – Their whiskers help them hunt by sensing vibrations in the water from potential prey items.
12 – They have no blubber and rely on their fur for insulation.
13 – There are 13 species of otters worldwide, all living near fresh or salt water, with 5 living in North America. There are 13 different species of otters worldwide, including sea otters, northern river otters, southern river otters, African clawless otters, Eurasian small-clawed otters, North American riverine raccoons (aka nutria), European polecats (aka weasels), and more!
14 – Sea otters are hungry little animals. They can eat 25% of their body weight in food every single day. As well as eating fish, sea urchins, clams and crabs, some otters will also worms, octopus, squid and snails.
15 – 90 per cent of all sea otters can be found living on the coast of Alaska.
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16 – The otter’s tail is a powerful rudder, steering them through water.
17 – Otters are smart mammals. They are one of the few mammals that are intelligent enough to use tools. Otters are the only marine mammals that use tools. Their favorite tool is a rock that they use to open their hard-shelled prey.
18 – Unlike most other sea creatures, otters don’t need to come ashore to rest because they sleep while floating on their backs in the water.
19 – Otters are playful animals and will often play with fish they catch before eating them.
20 – Otters have been observed holding hands while sleeping, which could be a sign of affection or just for warmth.
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21 – Otters are the only species of mammal that can hold their breath for more than four minutes.
22 – Baby otters are called pups or kits.
23 – They have the densest fur of any animal on Earth – 1 million hairs per square inch.
24 – They have a high metabolic rate, meaning they need to eat more than once per day.
25 – The heaviest otter was an Asian giant river otter who weighed 77 pounds (35 kilograms).
