39 Interesting Facts & Trivia About the Adorable Sea Otter
Otters are the undeniable darlings of the animal kingdom, with their endearing antics and irresistibly expressive faces. Whether they’re floating serenely on their backs like tiny, furry rafts, holding hands in a display of otterly adorable companionship, or using their little paws to juggle stones with the skill of a seasoned performer, otters radiate a playful charm that melts hearts instantly. Their sleek, shiny coats glisten in the sunlight as they glide through the water with the grace of aquatic ballerinas. And who can resist the sight of a baby otter learning to swim, paddling frantically but determinedly behind its mother? It’s as if nature conspired to create a creature so impossibly cute that it could bring joy to even the grumpiest of souls. Truly! Otters are nature’s embodiment of pure and unadulterated delight! Let us talk about otter facts starting right now!
Evolution and Classification of the Otter
1. There are 13 different species of otters, and two of them can be found in the United States: the North American river otter and the sea otter. The others are:
- The European otter, which can be found in Europe, parts of North Africa, and most of Asia.
- The Japanese otter, which was unfortunately declared extinct in August 2012.
- The Hairy-nosed otter is endangered and the rarest otter in Asia, but can still be found in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
- The Smooth-coated otter has been seen in Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, and India. There are even some hanging out in Iraq.
- Spotted-necked otters are native to sub-Saharan Africa.
- Marine otters are almost exclusively found on the southwestern coast of South America.
- Neotropical river otters are found all over Central and South America.
- Southern river otters live in the southern part of South America in Chile and Argentina.
- Giant river otters are often found in the Amazon river basin in South America.
- Asian small-clawed otters live all over Southeast Asia, including islands like Borneo, Sumatra, and Java.
- African clawless otters are scattered all over middle and southern Africa.
2. Georg Wilhelm Steller was the first European to visit Alaska in 1741, and while he was exploring Alaska, the zoologist and naturalist was the first to scientifically describe the otter.
3. Otters belong to the Mustelidae family of carnivorous mammals, and the subfamily of Lutrinae. They’re related to wolverines, weasels, badgers, minks, polecats, martens, and ferrets.
4. Scientists think that otter evolved during the late Miocene and early Pliocene period about 5 to 7 million years ago.
5. At least one species of long-extinct otters that existed around 3.5 million years ago was over 400 pounds and the size of a lion. It lived in Ethiopia and was only recently discovered.
Appearance and Anatomy: What Do Otters Look Like?
6. North American river otters can grow up to four feet in length and weigh up to 30 pounds.
7. Sea otters can weigh between 45 and 90 pounds.
8. Neotropical otter pups are born blind, yet completely furred.
9. The giant otter can grow up to almost six feet in length.
10. With up to one million hair follicles per square inch, sea otters have the thickest fur of any animal.
11. Even though they are not marsupials, otters store their tools and food in a loose patch of skin under their armpit.
12. Otters can hold their breaths underwater for a very long time. River otters have been known to do so for up to eight minutes. Naturally, this helps them forage for food.
13. Otter poop is called spraint. It’s even in the dictionary so you can look it up yourself if you don’t believe us.
Habitat and Lifestyle: Where Does the Otter Live?
14. About 90% of all sea otters in the world live in coastal Alaska, including in Glacier Bay National Park and Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
15. Being that both species inhabit South America, giant river otters and neotropical otters overlap habitats.
16. Giant otters have a language. One study found that adult giant otters make 22 different sounds that communicate different things. They can hum to soothe fellow otters, growl to defend their food, and shout to warn others of oncoming danger. Younger otters have their own sounds that communicate hunger.
17. Otters are one of the very few mammals that can actually use tools. More specifically, they tend to use a rock that acts as a hammer and breaks open shells, like the crabs and sea urchins they eat.
18. Speaking of otters and rocks, many of them have a favorite rock that they’re always carrying with them.
19. Otters can play basketball! There is even videographic proof.
20. Pairs of otters have been known to hold hands when they nap and it every bit as endearing as you think it is.
21. A group of otters resting together is called a raft. This is apt because not only do they love to rest in groups, they tend to wrap themselves in seaweed to keep from drifting away from each other.
22. A group of otters hanging out on land is called a romp.
23. Just like many humans who enjoy fun and swimming, otters love water slides.
24. Fishermen in southern Bangladesh have been known to breed smooth-coated otters so they could use them to chase fish into their nets, kind of like dogs rounding up sheep.
Reproduction and Mating Habits of the Otter
25. When smooth-coated otters copulate, it occurs in the water and doesn’t even last a full minute. Presumably, their lack of stamina in this department does not give them performance anxiety issues.
26. Boy otters reach sexual maturity around three years old while girl otters reach that point around two years old.
27. Female otters are called sows. Male otters are called boars. Their children are called pups.
28. The gestation period of otters vary from about 60 days to 86 days. After birth, the baby offspring otters tend to stay with their families for about a year.
Diet and Food: What Does an Otter Eat?
29. Many otters love to eat shellfish, and their powerful jaws and strong teeth are very useful in cracking them open.
30. The diet of Asian small-clawed otters includes mudskippers, frogs, rats, snakes, catfish, and crabs.
31. Smooth-coated otters forage on river banks and are known to eat snakes, rats, and catfish. They have been seen swallowing fishes head-first in just one piece.
32. In addition to fish, the marine otter’s diet has been known to consist of mollusks, shrimp, crab, and many kinds of crustaceans.
Predators & Conservation: How Are Otters Threatened?
33. Unfortunately, pretty much all 13 species of otter are classified as threatened to some degree. Their conservations statuses range from extinct to endangered and vulnerable to threatened. The North American river otter is the only species marked as “Least Concern (LC)” by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but they are a protected species in some areas.
34. For a few hundred years, otters were hunted for their pelts to be made into clothes. Children were known to wear otter mittens, and Chinese royalty wore them as robes. This is probably unpleasant information for anyone who counts the otter as their favorite animal.
35. Back when otters were prominently hunted, the prized trophy hunters would take was the penis bone, which they would use as a tie-pin. Fucked up, right? Like, why would anyone ever want to wear an otter’s dick on their tie.
36. The Otterhound is a British dog breed that specialized in hunting otters. However, the UK Kennel Club has placed them on the list of Vulnerable Native Breeds due to the declining popularity of otter-hunting. There are less than 600 Otterhounds in the world.
37. The Japanese otter population decreased suddenly in the 1930s, due to hunting, human development, and pollution. Very few were seen for the rest of the century, with its last known sighting in 1979. The Ministry of the Environment officially declared it extinct in 2012.
38. The rare marine otters are protected by law in Argentina, Chile, and Peru.
39. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a 24-hour live otter cam that you can access anytime! Bookmark it if you ever need a pick-me-up, but keep in mind that otters sleeping at night tend to be slightly less adorable than they are when they’re playing in the daytime.
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Want more facts about our animal kingdom friends? Check out Interesting Facts & Trivia About the Cute-ass Axolotl and Facts About the Sun Bear! If you’re curious about our friends from yesteryear then check out our list of Books About Dinosaurs & Paleontology!
Movies! We like them, too. Check out our list of fun film facts like The Pope of Greenwich Village or Cool Hand Luke or Michael Mann’s Miami Vice or I, Tonya.
Like random-ass trivia about random-ass things? Check out our series of 69 Fascinating Facts Volume 1 and Volume 2 and Volume 3 and Volume 4.
