Their diet consists of roughly 80% fish, but they will prey upon birds, mammals and frogs if fish are in short supply. 5. Giant otters produce 9 different vocalizations and are very loud. The structure of the fur allows the sea otter to keep the undercoat dry at a time when the animal is wet. Clever creatures, they'll use rocks to crack open the clams. The sea otter’s diet includes about 40 marine species, including urchins, crabs, clams, abalones, mussels, and snails. Fun Otter Facts for Kids. Diet and Predators. Description. Most otter species come ashore to give birth in dens, which sometimes have been used by other animals such as beavers. That was pretty interesting so Buzzfeed, (Apr 14) had also found out that sea otters use rocks to get their prey out like shellfish.Ok that was awesome, right? All in all, the sea otter preys on at least 100 different marine species. Individuals are specialists, but can change their diet. Read on and enjoy our interesting information about otters. The babies sleep on their mother’s chest, touching the head to her chin, and the adult individuals gently but firmly hold each other’s front paws. The average otter is 1–1.3 metres in length, and weighs up to 9kg. 6. How do sea otters hunt? An adult North American river otter can weigh between 5.0 and 14 kg (11.0 and 30.9 lb). Sea otters in captivity also like to play in car-wash strips, which simulate the kelp they’d find in the wild. Sea otters have awesome facts about them. And that’s just cracking the surface of otter diet facts! Their gestation period is 9 weeks and they can breed at any time of the year, although this usually occurs in spring. Cuteness! It often becomes specializes in hunting one type of animal, depending on local food availability and the individual’s skills. The otter is a carnivorous mammal in a branch of the weasel family called Lutrinae. However, this doesn’t mean an otter can’t switch or consume other types of prey as needed. Otters.. Did you know that sea otters have tails for swimming. They carry rocks and store food in the loose skin under their armpits - who needs carrier bags! Otters consume mainly fish but many people think that they eat plants and berries. They are diurnal, preferring to forage in the early morning and the late afternoon while resting through much of the night and the middle of the day. This can be up to 10 square miles though depending on where they live and how many people are in their raft. OTTER FACTS FOR KIDS! Sea otters eat about 25% of their weight every day, and is arguably the number one cause in sea otter deaths, when they cannot forage enough food to feed themselves. Unlike other otters, having a soft undercoat, sea otters possess fur with thick hard hair. The sea otter spends most of its time in the water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest. It is also known to break open shells by hitting them against a rock that it balances on its stomach. Besides, they also prefer to eat crabs, large barnacles, mussels, snails, tubeworms, clams, squid, octopuses, chitons, scallops, sea cucumbers, sea stars and abalone. Discover our favourite incredible otter facts, including facts about sea otters, perhaps the cutest of them all. When sea otter populations are abundant, bald eagles prey primarily on fish and sea otter pups, but when sea otter populations declined in early the 2000s due to predation by an increased population of orcas, bald eagles preyed more on marine birds and had more offspring because of the higher caloric content of a seabird diet. While most of their activity takes place in the water, these pests can be a nuisance to homeowners who live near rivers. Check out our range of fun otter facts for kids. Most of us don’t know much about them so here are some facts to help you educate yourself about them. Learning Colors! The male species of Giant Otter is between 1.5 and 1.7 m in length from head to tail and the female species is between 1 and 1.5 m. The well-muscled tail of the Giant Otter can add a further 70 cm to the total body length. Unlike most sea mammals, the sea otter does not have a layer of fat under its skin to keep it warm. Since they don’t have a layer of blubber to keep them warm like most of their marine mammal cousins, these thick coats actually have the ability to trap air, forming a layer of cozy insulation to keep them otterly comfy. Instead of blubber to keep them warm, sea otters have a thick and dense fur, in fact the densest in the animal kingdom, that helps keep water out and keep them warm. Here are five fun facts you otter know: Sea otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom, with up to one million hairs per square inch of their body! Sea otter swimming in Resurrection Bay Alaska. Fun Facts for Kids. The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur. If not you're, going to find out! Otters are fun creatures to watch and they are highly intelligent. Cute! Sea otters also have ears on the side of their head that are hard to see. They may go to them occasionally but always return to what is called their home range. Let's celebrate these adorable creatures! They gorge on more than 100 different prey species. The Giant otter was discovered by Gmelin in 1788. The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis), also known as the northern river otter or common otter, is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to the North American continent found in and along its waterways and coasts. They like to eat sea urchins, clams, mussels and crabs. These animals are most active from 10-11 am and from 3-5 pm. Article from buzzfeed.com. Look at the chart below to get a breakdown of the otter diet discovered by researchers in Glacier Bay. Otter Diet Problems. But what types of food do wild otters like best? They will probably be wrapped in kelp beds. 7 FUN FACTS ABOUT OTTERS! Each individual otter has a favorite food in their diet, so to speak. Top Facts about Otters. They will also be active in darkness, often foraging around midnight as well. It can be fun to test out your knowledge as you go. They have very thick fur – near about 250,000 to one million hair per square inch. Funny! 13 amazing otter facts. They are definitely meat eaters. According to Buzzfeed, (Apr 14) the first sea otter was found in 1751. Here are some interesting sea otter related facts for you. Sea otters typically show individual foraging specialization – which means an individual predominantly eats a select few species of prey. Have you thought about what the diet/habitat of an sea otter is? Sealife . Feb 19, 2015 - Widely considered the cutest animal in the ocean, sea otters have a troubled history with humans. The otters have thick, hard fur of a brownish color, a light belly and a muzzle. Sea otters eat around 25% of their body weight in food each day to support their high metabolism. Feb 19, 2015 - Widely considered the cutest animal in the ocean, sea otters have a troubled history with humans. Within these seas, they are usually found in the vicinity of the shore (which is typically rocky). Animals. Sea otters are today considered to be an endangered species are they were extensively hunted for their fur in the 18th century which meant that sea otter … If otters fascinate you, below are some interesting otter facts. Sea otters are the exception, giving birth in the water. Sea Otters Sea otters are the second smallest marine mammals, and are part of the weasel family. 5. otters’ diet consists of hundreds of different types of invertebrates hiding on the ocean bottom. Diet font size decrease font size increase font size; Image Gallery; Sea otters are ravenous eaters because they have to get enough calories to help them stay warm in their cold environment. The sea otter also have webbed feet and hands. While Buzzfeed, (Apr 14) had found out that the number one reason that sea otters are dying is because of oil spills! They take a nap at mid-day during really warm weather. Sea otters can be found close to certain seas near Alaska, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and the country of Russia. It is also important to not confuse their home range with their territory. 1. Explore. Sea otter is the heaviest and the second smallest aquatic member of weasel family. After catching fish, otters eat their prey on the shore. The front hair has a length of 20 mm, an undercoat of 12 mm. The kelp also provides cover from predators. Though they usually consume the entire fish, the animals may leave bones and other remains on homeowners' properties, which can attract other unwanted wildlife. The sea otter must consume between 25 and 40 percent of its body weight daily, just to keep warm. The Giant Otter of the sea can be heavy. If a sea otter’s fur becomes dirty, it has trouble absorbing the air needed to keep it warm. Discover facts about sea otters, their died, conservation status, endangered, habitat, diet and more. The sea otter’s diet includes fish, crabs, molluscs, and sea urchins, and it has very strong teeth for crushing their shells. Learn where the otter lives, what they eat, what a group of otters is called, the names of various otter species and much more. In summer, when sea otters spend almost all their time in the sea, the way they sleep on the water looks very touching. The otter’s diet consists of clams, mussels, crabs, squid, octopuses, sea urchins, sea stars, and fish, most of which are hard-shelled and need to be cracked open first. In fact sea otters may eat up to 25% of their body weight in food a day! Sea otters eat 25% of their body weight in food every day. 4. It is also known as the Guiana flat-tailed otter, margin-tailed otter and winged-tailed otter.