Otter

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

  
The Life of Animals | Otter | The time of gestation in otters is about 60 to 86 days. Female otters reach sexual maturity at approximately two years of age, while males can Produce offspring at approximately three years of age. Otters live up to 16 years. Otters have long, slim bodies Limbs and Relatively short, with webbed Paws. Most have sharp claws on Their feet, and all except the sea otter have long muscular tails. The Oriental small-clawed otter is smallest otter species and the giant otter and sea otter are the largest.


This traps a layer of water, and keeps Them dry and warm under water. Many otters live in cold waters and have very high metabolic rates to help keep warm Them. Eurasian otters must eat 15% of Their body weight a day, and sea otters 20 to 25%, Depending on the temperature. For most otters, fish is the staple of Their diets.


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, but river otters usually enter it only to hunt or travel, much of Their Otherwise spending time on land to avoid Their fur Becoming waterlogged. Sea otters are highly aquatic and live in the ocean for most of Their lives.