Otter Info

If you wanna learn to love otters, then you have to learn otters. I don't know if that makes sense, but Imma teach you some Otter Things.

Types of Otters

According to the Otter Specialist Group (OSG), there are thirteen different species of otters:

Image	Common Name	Scientific Name	Diet	Behavior
	African Clawless Otter	Aonyx capensis	Crabs Lobsters Frogs Fish Insects	Solitary; can sometimes form family groups of either a lone female with her offspring or a male and female pair with their children
	Asian Small-clawed Otter	Aonyx cinereus	Crabs Snails Molluscs Insects Small fish	Social and playful, forming family groups; monogomous and mates for life
	Congo Clawless Otter	Aonyx congicus	Molluscs Crabs Earthworms Frogs	Solitary; rarely spotted
	Sea Otter	Enhydra lutris	Clams Crabs Urchins	Social; lives in groups of the same sex
	Spotted-necked Otter	Hydrictis maculicollis	Frogs Crabs Small water birds	Very playful; will often form large groups; offspring are often very dependent on their mothers
	Marine Otter	Lontra felina	Crustaceans Octopus Molluscs	Monogamous and mates for life
	Neotropical Otter	Lontra longicaudis	Fish Crustaceans Small mammals Birds Insects Reptiles	Diurnal or nocturnal; tends to live near giant otters without conflict
	North American River Otter	Lontra cacadensis	Fish Molluscs Crustaceans	Playful; forms family groups of mothers, their offspring, and sometimes younger "helpers"
	Southern River Otter	Lontra provocax	Fish Crabs Molluscs Birds	Shy; rare and not seen often
	Eurasian Otter	Lutra lutra	Fish Crustaceans Amphibians Reptiles Birds Eggs Insects Worms	Playful, but solitary; sometimes seen in small groups of mothers with their offspring
	Hairy-nosed Otter	Lutra sumatrana	Fish Water snakes Frogs Lizards Terrapins Crustaceans Insects	VERY rare; had once been declared extinct before being rediscovered through camera footage
	Smooth-coated Otter	Lutrogale perspicillata	Fish Shrimp Frogs Crabs Insects Birds	Forms large, vocal family groups; nocturnal, sometimes dinural
	Giant Otter	Pteronura brasiliensis	Fish Frogs Snakes	Vocal and territorial, with monogomous pairs leading groups of their offspring; will sometimes welcome new individuals into their groups

Fun Facts!

• Sea otters' fur is thicker than that of any other animal. Sea otters don't have blubber, so they need all that floof to keep warm!
• River otters can take down an alligator. Yes, really. They may be small and cuddly, but they can fight far longer than a gator can.
• Giant otters use a variety of calls to communicate. Different family groups also have their own, unique audio signature.
• Otters float together in groups called "rafts." And yes, they do hold hands while sleeping. And yes, it is as adorable as it sounds
• Otters can juggle rocks. That's it. That's the fact. Check out the video below if you want to see that in action (and I'm 99.9% sure that you do)