Wildlife and Flowers: OTTERS

Otters are found everywhere but not in the Antarctic and Australasia. There are 12 different species and live in any water, salt or fresh. As well as very good swimmers they are equally at home on land.

As a matter of fact they belong to the weasel family and otters are its only amphibious member. Although, they are different species yet they look quite similar. Just to give you an example, the oriental short-clawed otter measures 66cm in length but the giant otter measures 140cm.

However, all otters have a streamlined body and a small head with a thick, tapered tail. The short legs have mostly webbed paws, with very sharp claws. This comes in useful for catching fishes and holding them. Their fur has under the long guard hair a dense underlayer which makes the coat water repellent.

The otters are living closed to whatever water, whether stream lake, river, reservoir, swamp or marches. Only two species living along the coastal areas. They are the marine otter and the sea otter. Apart from these two species their home and sleeping areas is usual dug into the banks and the entrance, for safety, are under water or exposed.

The sea otter does nothing but lives in the water. It sleeps in kelp beds. It wraps the strands of kelp around its body to make sure it doesn't get swept away. It not only sleeps there but mates and gives birth at sea as well as feeding in the water.

Usually, the otter hunts and feeds at night. If it knows that it won't get disturbed by human it does venture out during the day.

Their social lives differ from one group to the other. Most of the European otter are solitary animals. When they mate, they will spend quite some time together. The giant otter, the spot-necked otter and oriental short-clawed otter are living in small groups. All the other species are to be found either single, or in small group or in pairs.

Only a few otters have their own territories. They mark it with their glands which are under their tail or urine or faeces. The ones that live in groups have a communal toilet and they stamp their urine and faeces into the ground with their feet.

Otters are very vocal and they can produce a wide variety like chuckles, twitters, barks, chirps, grunts, purrs and growls. These sounds represent all sorts of messages. like greetings, summons, threats and alarms. They are from females to pups, between mating pairs and other otters in their territories or areas.

Otters look extremely playful when they slider around or roll over or dive in the water. However, scientists assume it could be meaningful purpose. like leaving scent marks or establishing social bonds or hunting techniques.

EURASIAN OTTER

They are extremely carnivorous and they eat what they can catch in the water world. It can fish of various sort, eels, crayfish, crabs, molluscs and frogs. Some, like the European otter and a few others, eat small water birds and mammals, like voles.

They all have that stiff whiskers around the snout which helps them to search underwater for prey. The method of catching their prey differs from species to species. They can grab fish with their paws or snap their prey with their strong jaws and teeth.

SEA OTTER

The sea otter is cute to watch when catching its prey and feeds. After diving to find some food like abaline, sea urchins, crabs, mussels and clams. It brings the catch to the surface plus a small stone. While floating on its back, it places the stone on its chest and hits it with its catch to crack it open.

They mostly bring their catch up to the surface and swim on their backs while eating. Some also bring it to the bank. They have a tremendous appetite and mostly to keep their energy up. During their waking hours they hunt and eat several times. River otters hunt in pairs and drive a school of fish into an inlet or corner where they can catch them easily.

NORTHERN RIVER OTTER

All otters can crash fish and hard shells of crustaceans with their strong teeth and swallow it.

The breeding season of otters varies. Some they have specific time, mostly in spring. Other they breed at any time during the year. Gestation can be from 60 to 80 days. Some otters have a delayed implantation of the fertilized egg into the female's uterus.

The number of young ones again varies. For instance, the cape clawless otter can have up to five young; the sea otter seldom has more than one. The pup is born with the eyes open and has teeth.

The European otter gives birth to two or three pups in its underground den. They are blind, naked and are completely helpless for six weeks. They have their first swim after 72 days and will be weaned at two or three months. They stay in the family group until the female give birth again.

Most of them bring up their pups on their own. Only the male river otter stays with the female until she give birth then she turns him out. However, he returns when the pups are half grown and helps her.

Most otters are threatened or endangered species. Man is their greatest enemy. They get hunted for their beautiful fur and the fur of the sea otter is most valuable. They got hunted for sport. Also because of their ferocious appetite they get hunted because they reduce the number of fish in a river. Another problem is the pollution and many thousands of otter were poisoned recently. Also they get hit by motor cars.

All species are under protection but in remote areas it is hard to enforce. It also had been found that some species developed an immune system towards certain poison. On the other hand, species which where thought to have died out were sighted in some areas.