Written by Lenard
Modified & Updated: 30 Dec 2023
Reviewed by Jessica Corbett
When you think of sea creatures, you’d most likely picture scales and slimy fins. However, otters stand out as the warm and furry creatures of the rivers and oceans. With their short, stubby legs and long, fluffy bodies, it’s hard not to notice them. While you may know about them through cute pictures on the internet, there’s still a lot to discover about otters. Find out more about this animal with these otter facts.
- There are 12 species of otter alive today.
- Mother otters give birth after about 60–86 days of gestation.
- Depending on the species, otters can live up to 16 years.
- Around 90% of sea otters live near the Alaskan coast.
- Thousands of otters fell victim to human hunting during the California fur rush in the early 1800s.
- Otters fall under the subfamily Lutrinae.
- Otters are carnivorous mammals.
- They mostly live near water.
- Otters have long, slender bodies.
- Otter dens are referred to as couches or holts.
- Otters live in the continents of Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
- Baby otters are called pups.
- Male otters are called boars or dogs, while female otters are referred to as sows or bitches.
- The smallest otter species is the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus).
- Male otters tend to reach maturity slower than females.
- Otter dung has a distinct odor and has its own special name, which is spraint.
- Due to the taxing nature of raising cubs, sea otter mothers can’t raise twins.
- Otter mothers can adopt pups.
- They often use the dens of other animals, such as beavers.
- The name “otter” originates from the Old English word otor or oter, derived from the same root word as the word “water”.
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