98 Fun Facts About Otter Trivia for Kids

Otters belong to the same animal family as which of these?

Otters belong to the weasel family, Mustelidae, alongside weasels and badgers; minks, martens and the wolverine are in the same family.

What is special about an otter's feet that helps it swim?

Otters also have long, slim bodies and thick fur that traps air, which keeps them warm and helps them float.

What is a baby otter called?

A baby otter is a pup. Pups are born with fur but cannot swim at first, so the mother keeps them in the holt, or, for sea otters, floating on her chest.

How old is a baby otter when it first learns to swim?

Otter pups first learn to swim at about two months old; the mother often has to drag reluctant pups into the water, and they stay with her for around a year.

An otter's home, dug under tree roots or rocks, is called what?

A lodge is a beaver's home and a sett is a badger's. Otter holts are often tucked under the roots of riverside trees.

What do most otters eat more than anything else?

They also snack on frogs, crayfish and crabs. In chilly water an otter needs to catch about 100 grams of fish every hour just to stay warm.

Which of these things do otters really do for fun?

Otters really do slide down muddy or snowy banks into the water, then climb back up to do it again; they also juggle small stones, apparently just for fun.

Roughly how long can an otter live?

Wild otters can live up to about 16 years, though most die much younger; river otters in zoos have reached their twenties.

Which kind of otter has the thickest fur of any animal in the world?

Up to 150,000 hairs fit in one square centimetre. Sea otters have no blubber, so the fur is what keeps them warm.

What tool does a sea otter use to crack open shellfish?

They bang clams and shellfish against a rock balanced on their chest to crack them open.

Where does a sea otter keep its favourite rock and the food it collects?

The loose pouch stretches across its chest, and most sea otters prefer to use the left one.

How does a resting sea otter avoid drifting out to sea?

Kelp is a huge seaweed that grows in underwater forests. Mothers wrap their pups in it too, like a seatbelt.

How does a sea otter eat its dinner?

A sea otter eats floating on its back, using its chest as a table; it tears food apart with its front paws, which it uses like hands, and pops it into its mouth.

Eating lots of spiny shellfish can turn a sea otter's teeth and bones what colour?

Pigment from purple sea urchins can stain a sea otter's teeth and even its bones purple; the otter bites through the underside of the urchin, where the spines are shortest, and licks out the inside.

About how much food does a sea otter need to eat every day?

A sea otter eats a quarter to a third of its own body weight every day, like a child eating around 60 hamburgers; it needs the energy to stay warm in cold seas.

Why can't a newborn sea otter pup dive underwater?

Mum licks and fluffs the pup's fur for hours after it is born. It grows a grown-up coat later.

What does a sea otter pup sound like when it cries for its mother?

A sea otter pup's cry sounds like a seagull's screech; mum leaves it floating on the surface while she dives for food, and it squeals loudly until she returns.

A group of sea otters resting together on the water is called what?

A group of sea otters floating together is called a raft; rafts are usually same-sex, males with males and females with females, though each otter dives for its own food.

Compared with other sea mammals, how big is a sea otter?

Sea otters are some of the smallest sea mammals: a big male weighs up to about 45 kilograms, about as much as a 12-year-old child, while a walrus can weigh over a tonne.

In which year did an international treaty finally stop the hunting of sea otters for fur?

Sea otter hunting ended in 1911, when the international Fur Seal Treaty protected them; by then only about 1,000 to 2,000 remained of the 150,000 to 300,000 that once lived across the North Pacific.

A famous video of two sea otters holding paws was filmed in which city's aquarium?

The clip was filmed at the Vancouver Aquarium in 2007 and shows the otters Nyac and Milo drifting paw in paw; it became one of YouTube's most-watched animal videos.

Which ocean do sea otters live in?

Sea otters live only in the North Pacific, along the coasts of North America and eastern Asia, mostly in sheltered spots with kelp forests.

How long can a sea otter hold its breath at most?

A sea otter can hold its breath for about five minutes at most, though most dives last only about a minute while it hunts the seabed for clams, crabs and urchins.

Which of these continents has no wild otters at all?

Australia has no wild otters; otters live on every other continent except Antarctica, from the Eurasian otter in Europe to the giant otter in South America.

Along which great river do most giant otters live?

Most giant otters live along the Amazon and its tributaries, in family groups of three to eight; in Spanish they are nicknamed 'river wolves'.

What is a male otter called?

A male otter is called a dog, just as a male fox is; a female otter is called a sow.

North American river otters use their long whiskers for what?

They also have a see-through extra eyelid that works like swimming goggles.

What protects a river otter's eyes when it swims underwater?

A see-through inner eyelid called the nictitating membrane slides across the otter's eye underwater, working like a pair of swimming goggles.

Why do river otters often swim right up close to boats and people?

Their eyes are built for seeing underwater, so on the surface they cannot see very far and come closer for a look.

Where does one tunnel of a river otter's den usually lead?

Straight into the water, so the otter can slip in and out; inside is a cosy nest chamber lined with leaves, grass, moss, bark and hair.

How long can a North American river otter live in a zoo or wildlife park?

In a zoo or wildlife park a North American river otter can live 21 to 25 years, compared with roughly 8 to 13 years in the wild, where food is harder to find.

Which country's word for otter is 'kawauso'?

Old Japanese and Chinese stories tell of otters that could turn themselves into beautiful women.

In one country, people have long trained otters to help them do what?

Trained otters help catch fish by chasing fish into the fishermen's nets while on a leash, a craft passed from father to son in a few Asian river villages.

Why do Eurasian otters leave their droppings, called spraints, on rocks?

Spraints mark an otter's territory: their smell tells other otters who lives on that stretch of river, and passing otters sniff them to learn who has been there.

Tarka the Otter, the famous 1927 book, is set in the rivers of which English county?

Tarka the Otter is set in north Devon, on the rivers Taw and Torridge; author Henry Williamson said the name Tarka means 'wandering as water'.

Ring of Bright Water is about a man who kept wild otters at a remote house in which country?

Gavin Maxwell kept his otters at Camusfeàrna, his remote house on the west coast of Scotland; the 1960 book sold over two million copies and became a film in 1969.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is a 1977 TV special made by which famous puppeteer?

Jim Henson's company made Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas in 1977, with Kermit the Frog introducing the story of Emmet and his Ma, who both enter a talent contest to buy each other a present.

In which US state did scientists famously study how sea otters protect kelp forests?

The classic 1970s study compared islands in Alaska's Aleutian chain: where otters had vanished, urchins grazed the seabed down to bare rock, and where otters lived, kelp forests thrived.

Sea otter babies are usually born where?

Sea otter pups are usually born in the water, one at a time, with eyes open and ten teeth already showing; the mother then keeps the pup on her chest.

Why do sea otters find walking on land so awkward?

The extra-long fifth toe on each hind foot is great for paddling on their backs but not for strolling on the beach.

How long does a mother otter carry her babies before they are born?

Most otter mothers are pregnant for about two to three months: a Eurasian otter carries her cubs for around 63 days before they are born blind in the holt.

How old is a river otter pup when its eyes first open?

A river otter pup's eyes open at about one month old; it is born blind and furry, and it stays with its family for about a year before going off alone.

What do otters line their den with to make it cosy?

Moss and grass line the den, called a holt, which is often dug under tree roots or a pile of rocks, especially in Scotland.

How many hours a day do most otters spend hunting for food?

Three to five hours is typical, but mothers feeding pups may hunt for up to eight hours a day.

What do river otters do when they are not hunting or travelling, to keep their fur from getting soggy?

River otters spend much of their time on land, resting in dens and grooming so their fur dries and keeps its insulating air; sea otters, by contrast, stay in the ocean almost all their lives.

What is the top, water-shedding layer of an otter's fur called?

The outer coat is made of long guard hairs that shed water, while a dense underfur beneath traps air to keep the otter warm and dry.

What do otters do for hours every day to keep their fur working properly?

Otters groom for hours every day, rubbing and blowing air into their fur so it stays clean and fluffy and keeps trapping a warm layer of air.

In a Korean legend, what happens to people who spot an otter?

Rain clouds follow them for life, the Korean story goes; Japanese folklore says otters can shape-shift to fool people, just like foxes and tanuki.

The word 'otter' grew from the same ancient root as which everyday English word?

Both words trace back thousands of years to a single word for water, which makes sense for an animal that lives in it.

How many teeth does an adult sea otter have?

An adult sea otter has 32 teeth, including broad, flat molars built for crushing clam and crab shells rather than sharp ones for slicing meat.

How fast can a sea otter swim underwater at top speed?

A sea otter's top speed underwater is about 9 km/h, a gentle jogging pace; it powers along by moving its tail and back feet up and down with its front paws tucked against its chest.

Which of these can a sea otter do that most other sea mammals cannot?

Sea otters can drink salty seawater: their extra-large kidneys pull fresh water out of the salt, although they get most of the water they need from their food.

Which two body parts can a sea otter shut tight when it dives?

A sea otter can shut its nostrils and ears tight when it dives; its front claws also pull back in like a cat's, and its palms have rough pads for gripping slippery prey.

Etika, a Seattle Aquarium sea otter, set a longevity record by reaching what age?

Etika reached 28 at the Seattle Aquarium, then a record for the species; wild sea otters rarely pass about 20, partly because their teeth wear down from crunching shells.

In 1979 the Seattle Aquarium did what no one had ever done with sea otters?

The pup was named Tichuk, and three more followed in the early 1980s. Today sea otters live in more than 40 aquariums and zoos.

A famous giant raft of sea otters once seen held roughly how many animals?

One raft of sea otters was counted at more than 2,000 animals, though a normal group has 10 to 100; males and females float separately and each otter dives for its own dinner.

How many times can a sea otter bash an abalone shell with a stone in just 15 seconds?

A sea otter can hammer an abalone about 45 times in 15 seconds; since an abalone clings to its rock with a force 4,000 times its own weight, several dives are often needed.

Cartoons often show sea otters munching on it, but which food do they rarely eat?

They will eat more than 100 kinds of prey, from tiny limpets to giant octopuses, and any kelp they swallow passes straight through undigested.

In California, which animal is the sea otter's main predator?

Great white sharks are the main killer of California sea otters; they seem to mistake otters for seals and do not eat them after biting, but the bite is usually fatal.

Why is spilled oil so deadly for a sea otter?

With no blubber, the otter depends entirely on its fur. The Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989 killed thousands of them in Prince William Sound.

Nyac, the lighter otter in the famous paw-holding video, had survived what as a youngster?

Nyac was rescued as a pup from the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 and lived to about 20; her darker friend in the video was called Milo.

How long does a sea otter pup usually stay with its mother?

A sea otter pup stays with its mother for about six months, riding on her chest and learning to dive and crack shells before it goes off on its own.

Long ago, sea otters were sometimes called by which other animal's name?

Early hunters and traders called the sea otter the 'sea beaver'; its scientific name, Enhydra, means 'in the water' in ancient Greek.

Because they sold for so much in China, sea otter pelts earned which nickname?

Fur traders called sea otter pelts 'soft gold'; by 1903 a single pelt could fetch $1,125 in London, which is why so few otters were left when the hunting stopped.

Which famous British explorer bought sea otter furs in the Pacific Northwest in 1778?

Captain James Cook's crew bought sea otter furs at Nootka Sound in 1778; when the ships reached China the furs sold for so much that traders from all over the world rushed to the Pacific Northwest.

In 1938 a couple testing a telescope found 50 hidden sea otters near which California spot?

The colony was spotted below Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast; every southern sea otter living in California descends from that little hidden group.

Sea Otter Awareness Week is held every year in which month?

Sea Otter Awareness Week falls in the last full week of September, when zoos and aquariums hold events to teach people why sea otters matter.

Why do keepers at a California aquarium wear black gowns and masks around orphaned otters?

Each pup is then paired with a foster otter mum who teaches it to dive and find food before it is set free in Elkhorn Slough.

The sea otter is the only sea mammal that grabs its fishy dinner using what?

Seals, dolphins and whales all snap prey up with their mouths. The otter also digs deep into underwater mud for clams with those paws.

Which popular Japanese web manga has a sea otter character called Rakko?

Chiikawa, which began as a Twitter web manga in 2020, has a sea otter character called Rakko; another sea otter stars in Mikio Igarashi's manga Bonobono.

How much of a North American river otter's total length is its tail?

The tail makes up about a third of a river otter's length, 30 to 50 centimetres of a body that can reach 130 centimetres; it tapers to a point like a thick rope.

In 2012 a river otter nicknamed Sutro Sam surprised everyone by moving into which US city?

Sutro Sam set up home in the ruins of the old Sutro Baths in San Francisco; no river otter had been seen in the city since the 1950s.

Where does a mother river otter usually find a den to have her babies?

A mother river otter usually takes over a burrow another animal dug, often an old beaver or muskrat lodge, since river otters rarely dig their own dens.

The giant otter's genus name Pteronura describes its tail as being like a what?

Pteronura combines the Greek pteron, meaning wing or feather, with oura, tail: a 'wing-tailed' otter; the flattened, muscular tail can add another 70 centimetres to its length.

Which of these is a real kind of otter?

The hairy-nosed otter, named for the fur covering its nose pad, lives in swamps and rivers of Southeast Asia and is one of the rarest otters.

How many pups does a river otter mother usually have at a time?

A river otter usually has two or three pups in a litter, though one to six is possible; they are born blind and furry in the den.

How can scientists tell one giant otter from another from the day it is born?

Every otter's pale throat patch is a different shape, like a fingerprint. The rest of its fur is chocolate brown.

Which fearsome fish is regularly on the giant otter's menu?

Piranhas are regularly on the giant otter's menu; if fish run short, a family will even tackle small caimans and anacondas together.

Wild giant otters are thought to live no longer than about how many years?

A wild giant otter is thought to live at most about 8 years, though zoo animals have reached 17; life in the Amazon is tough, with caimans, anacondas and electric eels to avoid.

Why do clever small-clawed otters in zoos leave shellfish lying in the sun?

The heat of the sun makes the shells open on their own, saving the otter the trouble of crushing them; its paws are almost like little hands, with claws barely past the pads.

In which city have wild otters learned to use staircases to climb out of concrete canals?

Singapore's smooth-coated otters climb canal staircases and even squeeze under buildings to make dens; one family, the Bishan otters, became local celebrities.

When a smooth-coated otter family hunts together, what shape do they swim in?

The family swims in a V-shaped line with the biggest otters in the middle; panicking fish leap out of the water ahead of them and get snapped up.

Gavin Maxwell's famous pet otter Mijbil came from the marshes of which country?

Mijbil came from the marshes of southern Iraq, near the Tigris; London Zoo found he was a type of smooth-coated otter nobody had described, so it was named Maxwell's otter after him.

In 2011, Eurasian otters were announced to be back in every county of which country?

In August 2011 the Environment Agency announced otters had returned to every county in England, Kent being the last; they had almost vanished after farm chemicals poisoned rivers, and cleaner water brought them back.

In southern Spain, Eurasian otters have been found living in lakes on what kind of place?

Any clean water with enough fish will do. The Eurasian otter is the most widespread otter on Earth, from Ireland to Asia and North Africa.

Which animal is the biggest danger to the African clawless otter?

The snake lies in wait at the water's edge. If an otter spots danger it lets out a high scream to warn its neighbours.

The spotted-necked otter is common in which huge lake?

The spotted-necked otter is common around Lake Victoria, hunting by sight in clear water with quick dives of under 20 seconds; it never goes into the sea.

In 2012 the Japanese river otter was officially declared what?

Japan's environment ministry declared the Japanese river otter extinct in August 2012; the last official sighting was in Kochi Prefecture in 1979, and it had been chosen as the animal symbol of Ehime Prefecture.

Which famous traveller saw Chinese fishermen using otters on the Yangtze in the 1200s?

The otter wore a leather harness on a chain and was sent into the net to chase out hiding fish.

Who narrated the 1979 film of Tarka the Otter?

Peter Ustinov narrated the 1979 film of Tarka the Otter; its script was co-written by the animal-loving author Gerald Durrell with director David Cobham.

What mark did one of Gavin Maxwell's otters leave on his handwritten Ring of Bright Water?

Maxwell wrote the whole book with a fountain pen, often sitting outdoors beside a waterfall.

In The Wind in the Willows, what is the name of Otter's young son?

Portly, Otter's little son, goes missing; Rat and Mole search the river all night and find him asleep at the feet of the god Pan.

Which of the otter's close relatives has been tamed as a pet?

The family has around 66 to 70 species, and the ferret is the only one people have truly domesticated.

On a hot day, how does a floating sea otter cool off?

A hot sea otter holds its back feet underwater to shed heat through the thinly furred soles; on cold days it does the opposite, folding all four feet onto its tummy to keep heat in.

In the 1960s hundreds of sea otters were moved off Amchitka Island to escape what?

The otters were moved before underground nuclear bomb tests on Amchitka (1965 to 1971); around 700 were given new homes along the coast, and their descendants live off Washington and British Columbia.

What colour is most sea otters' fur?

Deep brown with silver-grey speckles is the usual coat, and older otters often get a pale, almost white head and chest.

Who gave the sea otter its first scientific name, Lutra marina, in 1758?

Carl Linnaeus named it Lutra marina in the 1758 edition of Systema Naturae; the name changed many times before scientists settled on Enhydra lutris in 1922.

What do Russians call the sea otter?

Russians call the sea otter kalan; most of the Asian sea otters live off Russia's far eastern coast, around Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands.