I did some research on otters. I have always liked these animals, so here is some otter information.

Otters are a protected species in some areas and some places have otter sanctuaries. These sanctuaries help sick and hurt otters to recover.

Did you know...
There are 13 species of otters.
Otters are believed to have been on earth for 30 million years.
Otters live on every continent except Antartica and Australia.
Otters are semi-aquatic members of the family Mustelidae.
Otters are cousins to weasles, badgers, ferrets, and mink.
Sea otters are one of the rare mammals who use tools.

Otters are excellent swimmers.  They use their tails to swim or steer them.  They have webbed feet like ducks, and these mammals eat anything they can find.  In the water  playful otters can swim, twist, and turn like  dolphins. They have flat tails like beavers, but their closest relative is the skunk.  They are mammals and have flaps over their noses so water doesn’t come in.  Otters also have flaps over their eyes like goggles.

Fascinating Facts:

Otters may swim in circles, creating a whirlpool which brings up fish hiding on the bottom of the river or lake!

When running, otters can attain speeds of up to 18 mph (29 kph)!

Otters are often found frolicing in the water alone or in groups. They enjoy jumping and playing in river currents. In the winter they slide on their bellies on the ice to make travel much faster. Infact, when they get up enough speed they can run and slide a distance of 27 feet!

All otters have long, slim, streamlined bodies of extraordinary grace and flexibility, and short limbs; in most cases the paws are webbed. Most have sharp claws to grasp prey but the short-clawed otter of southern Asia has just vestigal claws, and two closely related species of African otter have no claws at all: these species live in the often muddy rivers of Africa and Asia and locate their prey by touch.

Oriental Small-clawed Otters, (aka Asian Small-Clawed Otters) are the smallest otters in the world. They feed on mollusks, crabs and other small aquatic animals. These otters are found in mangrove swamps and in freshwater wetlands. Oriental Small-clawed Otters are found in Indonesia, Southern China, Southern India, the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Otters have very noticeable whiskers that are long and white. Not only are otters the most playful animals, they are also very cute!

River otters are found in lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds in forested areas. They also spend a lot of time on land.River otters are found all along the east coast of the US, northern parts of the Midwest, in the Pacific Northwest, and most of Canada.

They live in dens along the banks of rivers and lakes. Sometimes otters will dig their own dens or else use hollow logs, overhanging roots or other empty animal burrows. The dens have underwater and aboveground entrances. During the winter, otters can breathe in the space between the bottom of the ice and the lowering water.

Did you know that otters can dive deeper than 50 feet underwater? Otters can dive as far down as 55 feet! They can also swim a 1/4 mile with only 1 breath and can stay underwater for 2 minutes. What do otters like to eat?

Fish is the primary item in the diet of most otters, supplemented by frogs, crayfish, and crabs; some have become expert at opening shellfish, and others will take any small mammals or birds that happen to be available. To survive in the cold waters where many otters live, the specialised fur is not enough: otters have very high metabolic rates and burn up energy at a profligate pace: Eurasian otters, for example, must eat 15% of their body weight a day; sea otters, 20 to 25%, depending on the temperature. In consequence, otters are very vulnerable to prey depletion: in water as warm as 10°C an otter needs to catch 100 g of fish per hour: less than that and it cannot survive. Most species hunt for 3 to 5 hours a day; nursing mothers up to 8 hours a day.

In winter, otters will make holes in the snow and also snowslide trails that are about 1 foot wide. In the summer, they leave slide marks along riverbanks. They often litter the trails with crayfish droppings.

Otter tracks are about 3 inches wide. Their 5 toes spread out like a fan. Usually only the heel pad and claws can be seen in the tracks.

Otters have litters of between 1 and 6 cubs. Two is the most common number of cubs in a litter. The cubs are born in March or April. The mother otter will find a den suitable for her young just before they are born. The cubs nurse until they are about 4 months old. They also learn how to swim and hunt by watching their parents. When the cubs are very young the mothers send the fathers out of the den. When the cubs are half grown, the fathers are welcome back into the den to help care for the young. Are river otters sociable with each other?

River otters are often found playing together in the water. Males are sociable most of the time except for during the breeding season. During the breeding season, they will sometimes get in fights with other males. Next time you are near fresh water lakes or rivers keep a look out for these cute, playful animals!