An otter looks intently
Eurasian otter Lutra lutra An otter is any of 13 living species of semiaquatic (or in the case of the sea otter, aquatic) mammals that feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals. The otter subfamily Lutrinae forms part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, badgers, wolverines, and polecats Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs, with webbed paws. Most have sharp claws on their feet, and all except the sea otter have long, muscular tails. The 13 species range in adult size from to metres (2 to 6 ft) in length and 1 to 45 kilograms ( to 100 lb) in weight. The Oriental small-clawed otter is the smallest otter species and the giant otter and sea otter are the largest. They have very soft, insulated underfur, which is protected by an outer layer of long guard hair. This traps a layer of air, and keeps them dry and warm under water. Many otters live in cold waters and have very high metabolic rates to help keep them warm. For most otters, fish is the staple of their diet. This is often supplemented by frogs, crayfish and crabs.[5] Some otters are expert at opening shellfish, and others will feed on available small mammals or birds. Prey-dependence leaves otters very vulnerable to prey depletion. Otters are very active, 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 avoid their fur becoming waterlogged. Sea otters are highly aquatic and live in the ocean for most of their lives. 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. Different species vary in their social structure, with some being largely solitary, while others live in groups – in a few species these groups may be fairly large
Size: 3887px × 2592px
Location: Launceston, Cornwall
Photo credit: © Jeremy Northcott / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: amphibians, animal, aquatic, bank, bevy, birds, crabs, crayfish, crouch, eurasian, family, female, fish, frogs, holt, invertebrates, lodge, lutra, lutrinae, male, mammals, meowter, mustelidae, nature, otter, playful, pup, queen, raft, river, romp, semi, shellfish, slides, solitary, water, wild
