Otters are found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Otter families live close to the water and spend a lot of time in it. They move awkwardly on land. They live along rivers, streams, lakes and coastal waters, even the Pacific Ocean.
|
Otters weigh 10 to 30 pounds (4.5 to 14 kilograms) and grow from 3 to 4 _ feet (0.9 to 1.4 meters) long including the tail. Otters have small-flattened heads and thick fur and thick tail. They have special muscles that lets the animals close their ears and nostrils tightly to keep water out. Elastic webbing grows between the otter's toes. The webbing helps the animals swim swiftly. The otter has an under fur that traps air and keeps the otter's skin dry. A layer of fat under the skin insulates the otter from the cold. The fur varies in color from brownish-gray to dark brown when dry, and looks darker when wet. |
|
Otters usually use their paws to handle things. They hold and play with things like stones and small shellfish. All otters have claws., even the otters that are called claw-less otters. Their claws are short on the three middle toes of their hind feet.
Otters eat crayfish, crabs, and fish. They can sometimes catch fast fish like trout. They usually capture slower fish. They also eat clams, frogs, insects, snails, snakes and sometimes waterfowl.
They move more at nights than in the day. Otters slide down steep muddy slopes in summer and down icy riverbanks in the winter. They use a variety of sounds to communicate between themselves. The various kinds of sounds are chirps, chuckles, creams, and squeals to express their feelings to other otters. They also have a warning glow.
Otters make homes in burrows, in riverbanks, under rocky ledges, or in abandoned dens of other animals. Female otters give birth to two or three young at a time. Their babies are called cubs or pups and are born blind. The babies do not swim until they are several months old. People hunt otters for their valuable and beautiful fur. Certain species, especially the giant otter are in danger of becoming extinct.
|
| |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
