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25 Interesting Facts About Otters

Curious and agile animals, otters are surprisingly good at not only adapting, but also hiding from potential enemies in the wild. Smart and independent, they are reluctant to tame, but in the wild, their developed intelligence allows them to overcome difficulties. Agile, flexible, and intelligent, these animals truly deserve attention.

  • Otters are distant relatives of martens.
  • On average, one square centimeter of an otter’s body grows from 100 to 125 thousand hairs. Such a dense cover allows them to keep warm and not get wet.
  • Often, otters catch fish collectively, driving it into some narrow place where prey can be caught. At the same time, they eat small fish right in the water, but they pull the larger ones ashore to have a quiet lunch.
  • They can hold their breath for 100-120 seconds, swimming an impressive distance underwater during this time.
  • Despite the fact that it is almost impossible to tame a wild otter, individuals born in captivity are calm about humans.
  • In winter, they descend from the hillsides, lifting their legs and sliding along them on their stomachs.
  • Otters prefer running water. They also live in lakes and ponds, but usually, they still prefer rivers.
  • In search of food, they often travel ten to twenty kilometers a day, both in winter and in summer.
  • The entrance to the otter burrow is always underwater.
  • The largest otter species in the world, it lives in Brazil. They are so large that they even hunt young caimans. They do not mind having a snack and toothy piranha. They reach two meters in length.
  • The basis of the diet of these animals is fish, but they willingly eat frogs, crayfish, and crabs.
  • Vibrissae (whiskers) in otters are no less sensitive than in cats. In muddy waters, this allows them to sense the direction of their prey.
  • The people of Bangladesh use otters as hunting animals for fishing: these animals help them drive schools of fish into their nets.
  • Otters do not live on the seashore. More precisely, they live, but only in river beds. They don’t like saltwater.
  • Tumbling and as if dancing in water, they cleanse their fur from dirt.
  • On land, the otter is capable of speeds up to 30 km / h.
  • Some otter species are active during the day and some are active at night.
  • These animals live on all continents except Antarctica and Australia.
  • There are about 800 thousand hairs on the body of an average otter. Well, give or take.
  • The eyes of these animals are equally good at seeing both in the air and underwater due to the unique structure of the eyes.
  • Otters are one of the few animals that can swim on their backs.
  • They are able to survive even in the Far North. For example, in Chukotka.
  • The ears and nostrils of the otter automatically clog when submerged.
  • Because of the excitement inherent in these animals, they sometimes catch more prey than they can eat.
  • Wanting to relax on the water, the otters spin in the seaweed to wrap them more tightly. Algae serve as a kind of anchor for them, preventing the current from carrying the animal away.
Alice White

Written by Alice White

Alice White, a devoted pet lover and writer, has turned her boundless affection for animals into a fulfilling career. Originally dreaming of wildlife, her limited scientific background led her to specialize in animal literature. Now she happily spends her days researching and writing about various creatures, living her dream.

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