Sea Otters Of The World

By Author: Sattam Jha
Total Articles: 31
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The charismatic otter is a member of the weasel family found on every continent other than Australia and Antarctica. Most of them are small, have short ears and noses, elongated bodies, long tails, and soft and dense fur.

There are a total of 13 species from the small-clawed otter to the giant otter. Most of them live in freshwater and wetlands, while the sea otter and the smaller marine otter are found in the Pacific Ocean.

Habitation:
Webbed feet and powerful tails make otters great swimmers. Their nostrils and ears close while they swim to keep water out, and waterproof fur keeps them warm. They carefully groom their hair and furry undercoat to keep them clean, because they do not have a fatty layer like other seagoing creatures to keep themselves warm. Otters have the densest fur of any animal—they have a million hairs per square inch in places.
Otters also have particularly stinky poop called spraints. It has a unique odor, which scientists describe as smelling like violets, from the seafood diet which otters eat.
Most otter species come on the shore to give birth in dens, which are used ...
... by other animals like beavers. Sea otters are there that give birth in the water. Baby otters are called pups or kittens, who stay with their mothers until they’re a year old, or until she has another pup.

Amazing Behaviors:
All otters are great hunters that prey fish, crustaceans, and other critters. Sea otters have a smart method to open shellfish. A sea otter will swim on its back, place a rock on its chest, then smash the mollusc down on it until it breaks open.
When they take a nap, sea otters entangle themselves in kelp, so they don’t float away. They also sometimes twist their feet together with another sea otter, so that they stay together.
River otters are playful, bounce around on land, and splashing into rivers and streams. They learn to swim when they are just two months old when their mother forces them into the water.

Threats:
Otters and their mustelid relatives were previously hunted extensively for their fur, many to the point of near extinction. Despite many regulations designed to protect them, many species remain at risk from pollution and habitat loss. The sea otter is considered as endangered on the IUCN Red List, pressured by pollution, pesticides, and conflicts with fishers who kill them for eating their fish. Asian otter species also face threats from the illegal pet trade.
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ANIMA is a unique marine life image bank based in Fremantle, Western Australia. Specializing in accurate, realistic illustrations of fishes, crustaceans, and a wide range of aquatic creatures as well as underwater drawings, paintings of coral reefs, and Australian fish identification guides.