Otters Tease an Annoyed Orangutan

Otters Tease an Annoyed OrangutanShow more

Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among other animals

The term "otter" originates from the Old English "otor", tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *wódr̥, which also led to the English word "water," highlighting the otter's aquatic nature. Otters' habitats include dens known as holts or couches, with their social structure described by terms such as dogs or boars for males, bitches or sows for females, and pups or cubs for offspring. Groups of otters can be referred to as a bevy, family, lodge, romp, or raft when in water, indicating their social and playful characteristics. Otters are known for their distinct feces, termed spraints, which can vary in smell from freshly mown hay to putrefied fish.
Otters exhibit a varied life cycle with a gestation period of about 60–86 days, and offspring typically stay with their family for a year. They can live up to 16 years, with their diet mainly consisting of fish and sometimes frogs, birds, or shellfish, depending on the species. Otters are distinguished by their long, slim bodies, powerful webbed feet for swimming, and their dense fur, which keeps them warm and buoyant in water. They are playful animals, engaging in activities like sliding into water on natural slides and playing with stones.

Genus, Species
Genus - Lutra (river otters).

North American river otter (Lutra canadensis)
marine otter (Lutra felina)
neotropical/long-tailed otter (Lutra longicaudus)
Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra)
spot-necked otter (Lutra maculicollis)
smooth/smooth-coated otter (Lutra perspicillata)
southern river otter (Lutra provocax)
hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana)
Genus - Pteronura (giant otter).

giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
Genus - Aonyx (clawless otters).

Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis)
Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea)
Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congica)
Genus - Enhydra (sea otter).

sea otter (Enhydra lutris)
Sea otters are further divided into three subspecies:
E.l. lutris - the Russian or Asian sea otter
E.l. kenyoni - the northern or Alaskan sea otter
E.l. nereis - the southern or California sea otter.
The subspecies are separated geographically, and vary slightly in their size, diet, use of tools, and the amount of time they spend on land.