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'{{About|the carnivorous mammals}} {{Taxobox | name = Otters | image = Fischotter, Lutra Lutra.JPG | image_width = 200px | image_caption = [[Eurasian otter]] (''Lutra lutra'') | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordata]] | classis = [[Mammal]]ia | ordo = [[Carnivora]] | subordo = [[Caniformia]] | familia = [[Mustelidae]] | subfamilia = '''Lutrinae''' | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = ''[[Amblonyx]]''<br /> ''[[Aonyx]]''<br /> ''[[Enhydra]]''<br /> ''[[Lontra]]''<br /> ''[[Lutra]]''<br /> ''[[Lutrogale]]''<br /> ''[[Pteronura]]'' }} '''Otters''' are semi-hjuasgfhsegfhsdgc bncvgtbvcvbvhbtrhjaquatic (or in one case [[aquatic animal|aquatic]]) fish-eating [[mammal]]s. The otter [[Rank (zoology)|subfamily]] '''Lutrinae''' forms part of the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Mustelidae]], which also includes [[skunk]]s, [[weasel]]s, [[polecat]]s, [[badger]]s, and [[wolverine]]s. With twelve [[species]] in seven [[genus|genera]], otters have an almost worldwide distribution. They mainly eat aquatic animals, predominantly [[fish]] and [[shellfish]], but also other [[invertebrate]]s, [[amphibian]]s, [[bird]]s and small mammals. ==Nomenclature== The word ''otter'' derives from the [[Old English language|Old English]] word ''otor'' or ''oter''. This and cognate words in other [[Indo-European languages]] ultimately stem from the [[PIE]] root *wódr̥ which also gave rise to the English word ''water''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/otter |title=Otter |work=Merriam Webster's online dictionary |accessdate=16 September 2009}}</ref> An otter's den is called a ''holt'' or ''couch''. A male otter is a ''dog'', a female a ''bitch'', and a baby a ''whelp'', ''kit'', or ''pup''.<ref>{{Citation needed|date=December 2010}}</ref> The [[collective noun]]s for otters are ''bevy'', ''family'', ''lodge'' or ''romp'', being descriptive of their often playful nature, or when in water ''raft''. ==Gestation== The time of gestation in otters is about 60 to 86 days. The newborn baby is taken care of by the mother, the father, and all the other offspring. Female otters reach sexual maturity at approximately 2 years of age, while males can produce offspring at approximately 3 years of age. After one month, the young otter can come out of the cave, and after 2 months it is able to swim. It lives with its family for about one year so that it can learn and be kept safe until maturity. Otters live up to 16 years. ==Characteristics== Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs, with webbed paws. Most have sharp claws on their feet, and all except the sea otter have long muscular tails. The twelve species range in adult size from 0.7 to 1.8 metres (2 to 6 feet) in length and 5 to 45 kilograms (2.7 to 100 pounds) in weight. They have a very soft, insulated underfur which is protected by their outer layer of long guard hair. This traps a layer of air, and keeps them dry and warm under water. Many otters live in cold waters and have very high [[metabolic rate]]s to help keep them warm. [[Eurasian otter]]s must eat 15% of their body-weight a day, and [[sea otter]]s 20 to 25%, depending on the temperature. In water as warm as 10°C (50°F) an otter needs to catch 100&nbsp;grams (3&nbsp;oz) of fish per hour to survive. Most species hunt for 3 to 5 hours a day, and nursing mothers up to 8 hours a day. For most otters, [[fish]] is the primary staple of their diet. This is often supplemented by [[frog]]s, [[crayfish]] and [[crab]]s.<ref>{{Cite book| title=Otters: ecology, behaviour and conservation| author=Kruuk H| pages=99–116| publisher=Oxford Biology| isbn=0198565879 | year=2007}}</ref> Some otters are expert at opening [[shellfish]], and others will feed on available small mammals or birds. Prey-dependence leaves otters very vulnerable to prey depletion. Otters are very active, chasing prey in the water or searching the beds of rivers, lakes or the seas. Most species live beside water, entering it mainly to hunt or travel, otherwise spending much of their time on land to avoid their fur becoming waterlogged. The sea otter does live in the sea for most of its life. Otters are playful animals and appear to engage in various behaviors for sheer enjoyment. Different species vary in their social structure, with some being largely solitary, while others live in groups &ndash; in a few species these groups may be fairly large. ==Species== <div class="thumb tright" style="border: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin:0.5em;"> {|border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" |{{clade| style=font-size:90%;line-height:75% | label1=Lutrinae | 1={{clade | 1=[[Giant Otter|Giant otter]] (''Pteronura brasiliensis'') | 2={{clade | 1={{clade | 1=[[Northern river otter]] (''Lontra canadensis'') | 2={{clade | 1={{clade | 1=[[Marine otter]] (''Lontra felina'') | 2=[[Southern river otter]] (''Lontra provocax'') }} | 2=[[Neotropical river otter]] (''Lontra longicaudis'') }} }} | 2={{clade | 1=[[Sea otter]] (''Enhydra lutris'') | 2=[[Spotted-necked otter]] (''Hydrictis maculicollis'') | 3={{clade | 1={{clade | 1=[[Eurasian otter]] (''Lutra lutra'') | 2=[[Hairy-nosed otter]] (''Lutra sumatrana'') }} | 2={{clade | 1={{clade | 1=[[African clawless otter]] (''Aonyx capensis'') }} | 2={{clade | 1=[[Oriental small-clawed otter]] (''Aonyx cinerea'') | 2=[[Smooth-coated otter]] (''Lutrogale perspicillata'') }} }} }} }} }} }} }} |} <div style="border: none;"><div class="thumbcaption"><center><small>Cladogram, after Koepfli ''et al.'' 2008<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Koepfli KP, Deere KA, Slater GJ, ''et al'' |title=Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation |journal=BMC Biol. |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=4–5 |year=2008 |pmid=18275614 |doi=10.1186/1741-7007-6-10 |pmc=2276185}}</ref> and Bininda-Emonds ''et al.'' 1999<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Bininda-Emonds OR, Gittleman JL, Purvis A |title=Building large trees by combining phylogenetic information: a complete phylogeny of the extant Carnivora (Mammalia) |journal=Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc |volume=74 |issue=2 |pages=143–75 |year=1999 |pmid=10396181 |doi=10.1017/S0006323199005307}}</ref></small></center></div></div></div> Genus ''[[Lutra]] '' *[[Eurasian otter]] (''Lutra lutra'') *[[Hairy-nosed otter]] (''Lutra sumatrana'') Genus ''[[Hydrictis]]'' *[[Spotted-necked otter]] (''Hydrictis maculicollis'') Genus ''[[Lutrogale]]'' *[[Smooth-coated otter]] (''Lutrogale perspicillata'') Genus ''[[Lontra]]'' *[[Northern river otter]] (''Lontra canadensis'') *[[Southern river otter]] (''Lontra provocax'') *[[Neotropical river otter]] (''Lontra longicaudis'') *[[Marine otter]] (''Lontra felina'') Genus ''[[Pteronura]]'' *[[Giant otter]] (''Pteronura brasiliensis'') Genus ''[[Aonyx]]'' *[[African clawless otter]] (''Aonyx capensis'') *[[Oriental small-clawed otter]] (''Aonyx cinerea'') Genus ''[[Enhydra]]'' *[[Sea otter]] (''Enhydra lutris'') [[Image:LutraCanadensis fullres.jpg|thumb|200px|Northern river otters]] ===Northern river otter=== {{Main|Northern river otter}} The northern river otter (''Lontra canadensis'') became one of the major animals hunted and trapped for [[fur]] in North America after European contact. River otters eat a variety of fish and shellfish, as well as small land mammals and [[bird]]s. They grow to one metre (3 to 4&nbsp;ft) in length and weigh from five to fifteen kilograms (10 to 30&nbsp;lb). In some areas this is a protected species, and some places have otter sanctuaries, which help sick and injured otters to recover. [[Image:Sea otter cropped.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A sea otter in [[Morro Bay]], California]] ===Sea otter=== {{Main|Sea otter}} Sea otters (''Enhydra lutris'') live along the [[Pacific]] coast of North America. Their historic range included shallow waters of the [[Bering Strait]] and [[Kamchatka Peninsula|Kamchatka]], and as far south as Japan. Sea otters have about 26,000 to 165,000 strands of [[hair]] per square centimetre of [[skin]],<ref>{{Cite web| last = | first = | title = Otters - Physical Characteristics | url = http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/otters/physical-characteristics.htm | publisher = | date = | accessdate = 17 November 2009 }}</ref> a rich fur for which humans hunted them almost to extinction. By the time the [[North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911|1911 Fur Seal Treaty]] gave them protection, so few sea otters remained that the fur trade had become unprofitable. Sea otters eat shellfish and other [[invertebrate]]s (especially [[clam]]s, [[abalone]], and [[sea urchin]]s),<ref name="www.defenders.org">{{Cite web| last = | first = | title = Sea Otter - Enhydra lutris - facts, video, and sound - Defenders of Wildlife | url = http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/sea_otter.php | publisher = | date = | accessdate = 17 November 2009 }}</ref> frequently using rocks as crude [[tool]]s to smash open [[Animal shell|shell]]s. They grow to 1.0 to 1.5 metres (2.5<!-- ≠ 1 m --> to 5&nbsp;ft) in length and weigh 30 kilograms (65&nbsp;lb). Although once near extinction, they have begun to spread again, from remnant populations in [[California]] and [[Alaska]]. Unlike most marine mammals (such as [[Pinniped|seals]] or [[whale]]s), sea otters do not have a layer of insulating [[blubber]].<ref name="www.defenders.org"/> As with other species of otter, they rely on a layer of air trapped in their fur, which they keep topped up by blowing into the fur from their mouths. They spend most of their time in the water, whereas other otters spend much of their time on land. [[Image:Otter in Southwold.jpg|thumb|200px|Eurasian otter, in England]] ===Eurasian otter=== {{Main|Eurasian otter}} This species (''Lutra lutra'') inhabits Europe, and its range also extends across most of [[Asia]] and parts of [[North Africa]]. In the [[British Isles]] they occurred commonly as recently as the 1950s, but became rare in many areas due to the use of [[chlorinated hydrocarbon]] [[pesticide]]s and as a result of [[Habitat (ecology)|habitat]]-loss and water [[pollution]] (they remained relatively common in parts of Scotland and Ireland). Population levels attained a low point in the 1980s, but are now recovering strongly. The UK [[Biodiversity Action Plan]] envisages the re-establishment of otters by 2010 in all the UK rivers and coastal areas that they inhabited in 1960. [[Roadkill]] deaths have become one of the significant threats to the success of their re-establishment. [[Image:giantotter.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Giant otter]] ===Giant otter=== {{Main|Giant Otter}} The giant otter (''Pteronura brasiliensis'') inhabits South America, especially the Amazon river basin, but is becoming increasingly rare due to poaching, habitat loss, and the use of mercury and other toxins in illegal alluvial gold mining. This gregarious animal grows to a length of up to 1.8 metres (6&nbsp;ft), and is more aquatic than most other otters. ==In popular culture== === Fishing === For countless generations, fishermen in southern Bangladesh have bred otters and used them to chase fish into their nets. Once a widespread practice passed down from father to son throughout many communities in Asia, this traditional use of domesticated wild animals is still in practice in the district of [[Narail]], [[Bangladesh]]. ===Religion and mythology=== [[Norse mythology]] tells of the [[Norse dwarves|dwarf]] [[Ótr]] habitually taking the form of an otter. The myth of ''Otter's Ransom''<ref>{{Cite web | title = The Otter's Ransom| accessdate = 2007-07-05| url = http://faculty.mcla.edu/cthomas/otter.html}}</ref> is the starting point of the [[Volsunga saga]]. In some Native American cultures, otters are considered [[totem animals]]. The otter is held to be a clean animal belonging to [[Ahura Mazda]] in [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] belief, and taboo to kill.<ref name = "Cooper92">{{Cite book|last=Cooper |first=JC |title=Symbolic and Mythological Animals |pages=171–72|year=1992 |publisher= Aquarian Press |location=London |isbn=1-85538-118-4}}</ref> ===Media=== '[[Tarka the Otter]]' by Henry Williamson, published 1927 gives a vivid portrayal of an otter's life in the rivers of Devon at a time when otter hunting was still legal. It was made into a [[Tarka the Otter (1979 film)|film]] of the same name in 1978, co-scripted by [[Gerald Durrell]] and narrated by [[Peter Ustinov]]. [[Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas]] is a children's storybook by [[Russell Hoban]] that was adapted by [[Jim Henson]] and [[Paul Williams (songwriter)|Paul Williams]] into a musical television special and by [[The Jim Henson Company]] into a live musical stage show. In Brian Jacques' Redwall Series, otters are depicted as kind, intelligent, creatures on land and sea. However, when it comes to defending their abbey home they are fierce and strong warriors. [[Gavin Maxwell]]'s book ''[[Ring of Bright Water]]'' tells the tale of how he brought a [[Smooth-coated Otter]] (''Lutrogale perspicillata'') back from [[Iraq]] and raised it in 'Camusfearna' ([[Glenelg, Scotland|Sandaig]]), on the west coast of [[Scotland]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064893/ |title=? |author= |date= |work= |publisher=[[IMDb.com]] |accessdate= }}</ref> The animated [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]] TV show ''[[The Penguins of Madagascar]]'' features an otter character named [[List of characters in Madagascar#Marlene|Marlene]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nick.com/shows/penguins-of-madagascar/characters/marlene.html |title=? |author= |date= |work= |publisher= |accessdate=}}</ref> voiced by [[Nicole Sullivan]]. In the book and movie [[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]], [[Hermione Granger]]'s Patronus takes the shape of an otter.<ref>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, p. 607, American hardcover edition</ref> ==Gallery== {{Gallery |title= |width=120 |height=150 |lines=3 |Image:Eurasian_otter.jpg|Eurasian Otter [[Edinburgh Zoo]] |Image:Amblonyx_cinereus.jpg|Oriental small-clawed otter |Image:Lontra_longicaudis_05.jpg|Long-tailed otter in Costa Rica |Image:OtterinHolt.JPG|Eurasian otter in holt |Image:Otters.jpg|Otters at the Perth Zoo |Image:Pair of Otters.jpg|Pair of otters }} ==See also== * [[Spraint]] * [[Pantolestidae]], an extinct otter-like mammal (60-40 mya) ==References and further reading== {{wikispecies|lutrinae}} {{Commons category|Lutrinae}} {{Wikisource1911Enc|otter}} {{Reflist}} {{Refbegin}} *Gallant, D., L. Vasseur, & C.H. Bérubé (2007). Unveiling the limitations of scat surveys to monitor social species: a case study on river otters. [http://www.wildlifejournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.2193%2F2005-697 Journal of Wildlife Management] 71:258–265. {{Refend}} ==External links== {{Wiktionary}} *[http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/mammals/Lutra_lutra/ ARKive] Photographs and Videos of Eurasian Otter. On the same site are photos and videos of Marine otter (''Lontra felina''), Sea otter (''Enhydra lutris''), Marine otter (''Lontra felina'') , Sea otter (''Enhydra lutris''), Smooth-coated otter (''Lutrogale perspicillata'') and the Giant otter (''Pteronura brasiliensis''). *[[Lábod|Otters in Trouble in Hungary]] *[http://www.otter.org/ International Otter Survival Fund] *[http://www.otternet.com/index.htm Otternet] *[http://www.iamotter.co.uk/ Otter stories and pictures] *[http://www.adventures-in-climate-change.com/adventures-in-climate-change/Saving_Otters/Saving_Otters.html Blog: Saving Otters] {{Carnivora|M.}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2010}} [[Category:Mustelidae]] [[Category:Otters| ]] [[Category:Mammals of North America]] [[Category:Mammals of South America]] [[Category:Mammals of Africa]] [[Category:Mammals of Europe]] [[Category:Mammals of Asia]] [[af:Otter]] [[ar:قضّاعة]] [[ast:Llóndriga]] [[bn:ভোঁদড়]] [[zh-min-nan:Chúi-thoah]] [[be-x-old:Выдра]] [[ca:Llúdria]] [[cs:Vydry]] [[cy:Dwrgi]] [[da:Oddere]] [[de:Otter]] [[nv:Tábąąstíín]] [[es:Lutrinae]] [[eo:Lutro]] [[eu:Lutrinae]] [[fa:سمور آبی]] [[fr:Loutre]] [[fur:Lodre]] [[ga:Dobharchú]] [[gd:Dòbhran]] [[gl:Lontra]] [[ko:수달아과]] [[hr:Vidre]] [[io:Lutro]] [[id:Berang-berang]] [[iu:ᐸᒥᐅᖅᑑᖅ/pamiuqtuuq]] [[it:Lutrinae]] [[csb:Wëdra]] [[sw:Fisi-maji]] [[la:Lutrinae]] [[lv:Ūdri]] [[hu:Vidraformák]] [[mk:Видра]] [[ms:Memerang]] [[nah:Āhuitzotl]] [[nl:Otters]] [[cr:ᓂᒋᒄ]] [[ja:カワウソ]] [[no:Otrer]] [[oc:Loira]] [[pnb:اودبلا]] [[pl:Wydry]] [[pt:Lontra]] [[ro:Vidră]] [[ru:Выдровые]] [[sco:Otter]] [[scn:Lontra (zooluggìa)]] [[simple:Otter]] [[fi:Saukot]] [[sv:Uttrar]] [[tl:Oter]] [[te:నీటి కుక్క]] [[th:นาก]] [[chr:ᏥᏯ]] [[uk:Видрові]] [[ur:اودبلاؤ]] [[ug:قاما]] [[vi:Rái cá]] [[wa:Lote]] [[zh:水獺]]'