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Otter

A Mustelid Member: Otters are a semiaquatic subfamily of the mustelid family, a diverse group of carnivores. Being a member of the mustelid family means that otters generally have short ears, five toes on each foot, a short snout and long, curved nonretractable claws (except for the small forepaws of the sea otter, which are retractable). Their coat is thick and waterproof.

Otter Edibles: What an otter eats, however, depends on the species. Some otters, like the European and African clawless otter, hunt fish, octopus, frogs and other aquatic prey. Others, such as the sea otter, stick to shellfish. To crack open hard abalone shells, the inventive sea otter floats on its back and hits the shell on a rock that it balances on its belly.

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MORE OTTER

VIDEO: Saving Grace the Otter

VIDEO: Otter Fishing Lessons

INTERACTIVE: Anatomy of an Otter

ARTICLE: Otters Aren't Good Pets

EXPERT: Carolina Vargas, Otter "Mom"

SPECIES: Asian Small-Clawed Otter

SPECIES: Meet the Sea Otter

PUZZLES: Giant Otter Puzzles

DID YOU KNOW?

Thirteen Species: There are 13 otter species: giant, marine, sea, hairy-nosed, smooth-coated, speckle-throated, northern river, southern river, neotropical river, African clawless, Congo clawless, Asian small-clawed and Eurasian.

Land and Sea: Otters tend only enter the water to hunt, which most do for 3 to 5 hours a day, or travel. This keeps their fur from becoming water-logged. The sea otter is the only species that actually lives in the water.

Bubble Buoyancy: When sea otters groom their fur, they push air bubbles down toward their skin. The resulting air pockets help with buoyancy and staying warm.

The Talkative Otter: The giant otter is the most vocal of the otter species. It has many distinct vocalizations, including those for alarm, aggressiveness and reassurance.