HONESTLY, OTTERS ARE FANTASTIC

A brief overview

About Otters...

Otters are perhaps one of the most charismatic of mammals. They possess cleverness and playfulness in equal quantities, and an abundance of cute. But don't let the adorable face distract you from all the many other fascinating qualities of otters.

According to the IUCN, 12 of the 13 otter species are listed as vulnerable, threatened or endangered and are experiencing population declines. Otters live on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Most people know of sea otters and river otters — but that's not the only classification. There are actually 13 different species of otter found around the world.

A group of otters has a range of names, including a bevy, family, lodge or, as their energy level and antics might suggest, a romp. When in the water, a group of otters is called a raft. Even otter dens have a special name (or two). Their resting spots are called a hover or a couch, which are usually little more than a bed of reeds. But otters also use what's called a holt. Holts are small underground dens where otters can escape danger, take shelter, and where females raise their young.

Otters are active hunters, chasing prey in the water or searching the beds of rivers, lakes or the seas. Most species live beside water, but river otters usually enter it only to hunt or travel, otherwise spending much of their time on land to prevent their fur becoming waterlogged. Sea otters are considerably more aquatic and live in the ocean for most of their lives.

How are Otters great? Let us count the ways

• Hold hands: Sea otters sometimes hold hands while they're sleeping to keep from floating away from each other. Often a mother and pup will hold on to each other while they are resting so that they don't drift off from each other or the rest of their group, which is called a raft. (see here or in a video here )
• Using Tools:
  Not all otters use tools, but sea otters use them all the time. They typically use rocks and empty shells to feed on marine snails, crabs, sea urchins and mussels. There are only a handful of non-primate species known to use tools, including dolphins and octopuses.
• Favorite stone:
  Why do sea otters always a carry a stone with them? Because otters actually form attachments to certain stones – keeping them in an armpit when not in use – and have been known to retain their favourite ones throughout their lives!
• Playful and curious:
  Otters are playful animals and appear to engage in various behaviors for sheer enjoyment, such as making waterslides and then sliding on them into the water.
• Fur champs:
  Sea otters don't just have the densest fur of all otters — they have the densest fur of all animals! They have as many as 1 million hairs per square inch on the densest parts of their body. They need every last hair because they are the only marine mammal to not have a layer of blubber as insulation against the freezing ocean water. Their fur protects them from the cold and keeps them waterproof.

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Coded by Marina M.