Otter Facts

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Otter are mammal that belongs to the same group as the weasel (family Mustelidae). They have slender body with relatively long and muscular tail thar helps them swim in the water. The feet consist of five toes, and they are webbed which help them swim more efficiently. But they are also strong enough to enable the otter to move on land as well. The toes are generally equipped with long claws, and they are use with great dexterity to manipulate their prey.

Otters are excellent swimmer

Otters have small ear and rounded eyes with somewhat triangular shaped nose. The whiskers are quite long, and they are useful to detect prey via vibration. This is especially so in low light condition such as in murky waters. All otters have 32 teeth. A large portion of the teeth are molars that are use to grind their prey which includes crustaceans and fishes. They also have incisors.

Otters come in different sizes. The largest is the Giant Otter which grow up to 1.8 m in length. The smallest one can be found in Asia – The Oriental Small-clawed Otter that is about 0.9 m in length. Otters inhabit diverse kind of habitat, but they always live near water, whether it is freshwater or the sea. Otters are not known dangerous to man. In contrast, they can give direct benefit to man. For example, fishermen in India use them to help catch fish. However some species are threatened as a result of hunting and habitat destruction.

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