Fun Trivia » Animals » Mustelidae-Weasel Family » Otters

Otters are members of the same family as weasels, stoats, polecats, ferrets and badgers. They are collectively known as mustelids. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Otariidae, Felidae, Mephitidae

Eurasian otters are protected in Europe due to their once-declining numbers. Their muzzles are quite pointed compared to other species. It is said that otters are a very important indicator of the health of a river, so their presence is welcomed in many urban areas as a sign of the water quality improving. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Hairy nosed otter, Asian short clawed otter, Sea otter

River otters have five toes on each foot, just like humans do. These toes are webbed, which helps them swim efficiently through water. Their front feet are smaller and more dexterous, useful for grasping prey. Their back feet are larger and powerful, useful for propulsion on land and in water. Each toe ends in a non-retractable claw. River otters leave distinctive five-toed tracks in mud or snow, which can help wildlife trackers identify their presence.

The presence of five toes on each foot is a trait shared by many mammals, including humans and other primates, reflecting a common evolutionary ancestry or a biological necessity. Difficulty: Hard.

River otter pups are not born knowing how to swim. When they are about two months old, they are taught to swim by their mothers. The mother otter will grab the fur on the back of their necks with her mouth and drag them through the water. She will also teach them to dive by dragging them under the water, forcing them to stay down since they are naturally buoyant. The pups begin by doggy paddling as mom drags them, but they eventually learn to swim on their own and become faster. Difficulty: Easy.

 

hunt, bathe themselves, build a holt

As long as there is a plentiful food supply and nearby rivers, otters can survive anywhere, including desert valleys. Different species have adapted to diverse conditions e.g. sea otters live in salt water whereas other species that may swim in the sea still need access to fresh water. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Arctic, Tropical, Desert

A female is a bitch and babies are whelps, pups or kits. The otters can also be called a boar (male) and sow (female). Difficulty: Hard.

 

A buck, A kit, A ram

The eurasian otter is the species that is native to Britain. Once relatively common the otter suffered through loss of habitat and pollution of the rivers. Thanks to environmental policies and a management plan it is now making a comeback across large parts of the British Isles. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Lontra felina, Hydrictis maculicollis, Pteronura brasiliensis

The giant otter is also sometimes referred to as the water dog (perro de agua). They are very social and can often be found in large groups. Difficulty: Hard.

 

hairy nosed otter, spotted necked otter, Congo clawless otter

These otters love to play with pebbles, and you can often find them on their backs throwing one around the place. They can also be very noisy, a means of communicating among the group which also doubles as a tool to make humans feed them for being so adorable. Okay, that may not be true, but otters are very smart creatures... Difficulty: Hard.

 

Sea otter, Spotted necked otter, American river otter

River otter pups are taught to begin swimming at around two months old, but they absolutely do not take to the water instinctively. Instead, their mothers teach them, sometimes quite forcefully, by nudging, dragging, or even pushing them into the water. Ker-splash! This seemingly-harsh method is essential for survival, as swimming is a necessary and vital skill for hunting, escaping predators, and exploring their watery habitat. While, at first, pups may resist or flail, with practice and maternal guidance, they quickly become confident swimmers. Difficulty: Hard.

 

How to hunt, How to speak, How to find shelter in a storm

The Japanese word for river otter is "kawauso". The "kawauso" folklore stories vary by region, but several of them tell tales of otters turning into beautiful women. In some of the darker versions, the otters that shapeshift into women lure men in order to kill and eat them.

One Ainu legend tells of how, in the process of making mankind, God had to return to Heaven and left instructions with a nearby otter for the deity that would come and finish his work. While waiting, the otter became so distracted with playing and fishing that he forgot to pass on the message. This is the reason why man is imperfect. Also, the legend says that the otter was cursed with a bad memory as punishment for his mistake. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Norway, Uganda, Peru

The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) can reach lengths of up to 7.8 feet and weigh between 50 to 100 pounds. Sometimes known to locals as the "river wolf", the giant otter is one of South America's top species and has no serious natural predators other than humans. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Emperor Otter, King Otter, Otter-zilla

Thought to be less than 5,000 left in the wild the giant otter was hunted for its velvety pelt. There are also very few in captivity (around 60) however, an otter sanctuary in the UK recently managed to get a pair to breed. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Very large otter, Mammoth otter, Amazonian river otter

Maybe this makes them more streamlined, what with the heart on the left side. They have very small ears, which they can close, along with their nostrils, while swimming underwater. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Their tails are twice as long as their bodies., They have two hearts., They can cover their eyes with their ears.

These otters are quite plentiful all over America and Canada, although they are threatened or extinct in many states in mid-America. Many states allow hunting for their fur, though just as many have banned it, thankfully. Difficulty: Average.

 

East coast USA, West coast USA, Canada

Delayed implantation, also known as embryonic diapause, is a fascinating reproductive strategy used by river otters and several other mammals. After mating, usually between February and April, the fertilized egg does not immediately implant in the uterine wall. Instead, it remains inside the female in a dormant state for up to ten or even eleven months. This means that although mating happens in early spring, actual gestation doesn't begin until winter, lasting around 60-63 days. The pups are born in the Spring, where conditions are optimal for their survival. Difficulty: Hard.

 

A very long gestation period, Otters breed twice a year, River otters lay eggs

The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otter Program began when the aquarium opened in 1984, and its mission was revitalized in 1998. They first placed an abandoned sea otter pup with a female sea otter in the aquarium in 2001. It just so happened that a female otter named Toola gave birth to a stillborn pup the same day they found the abandoned pup. They decided to see what would happen if they gave the pup to the mother otter who lost her baby. The otter immediately began to mother the baby otter! Since then, the program continues to have their resident sea otter mothers raise rescued sea otter pups. They begin releasing the pups into the wild at around six months old and monitor them to make sure they are thriving. If the pup does not seem to be doing well, they recapture it and let it grow a bit more before re-releasing it. Toola, the first sea otter at Monterey Bay Aquarium to serve as a surrogate mother, died in 2012 after raising a total of thirteen pups during her stay at the aquarium! Difficulty: Average.

 

Abandoned sea otter pups cannot be housed together with female otters that have pups of their own., Abandoned sea otter pups can rarely be re-released in the wild and their chance for survival is low. , Male sea otters will eat the abandoned pups because they perceive them as a threat.

Giant otter males are usually between 1.5 and 1.7 m (4.9 and 5.6 ft) from head to tail and the females are a little shorter. Generally the males weigh between 26 and 32 kg (57 and 71 lb), whereas the sea otter will weigh up to 45 kg or 99 lb. Difficulty: Hard.

 

North American river otter, European otter, Hairy-nosed otter

The penalty paid by the Aesir in compensation for Otter's death becomes the Rhinegold of Richard Wagner's Nibelung Trilogy. This is a story in Norse and Teutonic culture. Fafnir was Otter's brother, and he became a dragon who owned the hoard of gold, which was taken by Sigurd (Siegfried), who killed Fafnir. Loki is involved in all sorts of mischief among the Aesir, or Norse gods. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Odin, Siegfried, Fafnir

Like many otter species, human activity and hunting significantly affected the population. Hopefully more of these beautiful animals will be found. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Giant otter, Cape clawless otter, Marine otter

North American river otters are medium-sized mammals with a body length of 66-107 cm (26-42 in) and a tail length of 30-50 cm (12-20 in). They typically weigh 5-14 kg (11-31 lbs), with males being larger than females. Their long, sleek bodies and muscular tails help them swim gracefully, while they are fully adapted to swimming in cold water. Despite their awesome aquatic affinity, they can move quite quickly on land, too. Their size makes them roughly comparable to a red fox, raccoon, or a Maine Coon cat. Their bodies are flexible and streamlined for life in rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Rat, Rhinoceros, Robin

Due to the rapid decline of the number of otters in English rivers, the ban on hunting otters was introduced in 1978. The Environment Agency announced in 2011 that otters had been re-established in all counties in England. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Fifty pairs of zoo bred otters were released, Fishing in rivers was banned, Fifty thousand farm bred salmon were released

Otter young can also be called kits or whelp. They are raised by their mothers, as male otters do not share in the raising of the young. Mothers teach hunting and social skills, and the pups head out on their own when Mom takes on her next brood. Difficulty: Easy.

 

lambs, calves, fry

Mothers keep their young on their chests as they float on their backs. When they need to hunt for food, they wrap the pup in kelp to camouflage it from predators and stop it floating away. Adult otters also hold hands, though rather than for affection, they do this to prevent ocean currents carrying an otter away from the group. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean

Fish make up the bulk of the food intake of a river otter, often over 70%, depending on availability and region. River otters prefer slower, easier-to-catch fish like catfish, perch, suckers, and minnows, but will also eat faster prey when they have the energy (or perhaps they have a craving). When fish are scarce, they supplement their diet with amphibians, freshwater crustaceans, insects, small mammals, birds, and even turtles, or even eggs, if they can find them. While their diet is opportunistic, fish remain their primary and most consistent food source due to abundance and high protein content. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Small amphibians, Aquatic plants, Oysters

Unlike the other species of otters, sea otters spend most of their time in the water. They rely upon air trapped in their fur for insulation as do all otter species, and they do not have blubber the way that most marine mammals do. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Eurasian otter, Hairy-nosed otter, North American river otter

Although the couch COULD be in a den... LOL! The North American river otter's den is also called a holt and is often built in the burrows made by other animals like woodchucks or foxes. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Sofa, Living Room, Lodge

Zoroastrians believe otters belong to Ahura Mazda, a divinity of the Old Iranian religion who was proclaimed the uncreated God by Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Buddhism, Judaism, Taoism

Rather than being a forest of trees, the kelp forest is an underwater forest of giant kelp, a seaweed. The kelp provides protection from predators as well as some food supply, such as snails and other organisms which attach themselves to the kelp. Mother sea otters have also been known to wrap their young in kelp while off acquiring food. Difficulty: Hard.

 

tropical rainforest, pine forest, mangrove forest

There are no otters in Oceania! Difficulty: Hard.

 

North America, Africa, Oceania

River otters typically live 8 to 9 years in the wild, though some may reach 12 years if conditions are ideal. In captivity, where threats are reduced and veterinary care is available, they can live around 25 years or more. In the wild, they are faced with the constant struggle to find food and shelter, have accidents (mostly due to humans), get hunted, and have to deal with pollution. River otters in the wild also need to be on the lookout for predators. Some of the more common animals that hunt river otters include coyotes, bobcats, alligators and birds of prey. Difficulty: Hard.

 

About the same, 3-5 years, 16-17 years

Sea otters do not have blubber, so they rely on their thick fur to keep them warm and they have about one million strands of fur per square inch. They have a thick layer of underfur, which is covered by longer guard hairs which keep the underfur dry. The guard hairs have to be carefully groomed in order for them to maintain their ability to repel water. Baby otters cannot groom themselves, so mother otters do this for them for several hours a day. Difficulty: Hard.

 

marine otter, Japanese otter, Eurasian otter

Gavin Maxwell was doing research for a book on marshes in Iraq when he was given the otter pup. Upon having the otter checked out by the London Zoological Society, it was found to be a new sub-species of otter and named in his honour.

The alluvial salt marshes of Iraq, which were its home, started to be drained in the 1960s, leading to the loss of habitat and ultimate extinction. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Peru, Cuba, Scotland

Look for them next time you are in the Amazon river basin. Giant otters are seen by the indigenous Achuar tribe as a type of water spirit called tsunki. Difficulty: Hard.

 

The Canadian Prairies, The Steppes of Russia, The Alaskan Peninsula

An otter's den is called a holt. Usually they live underground next to river banks. The creation of artificial holts has been one of the ways that otters have been encouraged to return to some of the areas where they had previously disappeared from. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Sett, Drey, Nest

Collective nouns for river otters include family, romp, lodge, and bevy. Difficulty: Hard.

 

school, wave, flotilla

River otters belong to the Mustelidae family, a diverse group of carnivorous mammals known for being elongated, agile, and, quite often, fierce hunters. Being a mustelid means river otters are closely related to animals that share similar physical features like long bodies, shorter legs, scent glands, and sharp teeth. They also have similar behavioural features, such as cleverness, curiosity, and strong territorial instincts. Some other animals closely related to them include, mink, weasels, skunks, polecats, ferrets, wolverines, badgers, and martens.

A viscacha is a sad-looking rodent similar to a rabbit, and the subject of many recent memes. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Polecats, Skunks, Weasels

Sea otters are important to the balance of the ecosystem of the ocean. They use kelp to float on while they sleep, but the kelp forests are also home to other marine animals. Kelp forests are also important for their absorption of CO2 through photosynthesis. Sea otters help protect these kelp forests by eating the sea urchins that like to eat kelp. When there are no otters around, the sea urchins are capable of wiping out entire kelp forests. When otters are near, the urchins will hide from them and feed on scraps of kelp. Difficulty: Easy.

 

coral, seahorses, sponges

This traditional practice can still be found in the Narail district of Bangladesh, where the smooth-coated species of otters are found. The domesticated otters are born and bred in captivity. Approximately 300 fishermen are estimated to use these trained otters today. Difficulty: Average.

 

Keep cats out of fish tanks, Guide boats into harbors, Bring snacks to fishermen using their stomachs as a tray

The sea otter uses rocks to remove shell fish from the sea bed before then using them to break open the shells. It usually floats around on its back in the north eastern Pacific Ocean. Difficulty: Average.

 

Short clawed otter, Neotropical river otter, Hairy nosed otter