Today, we have intriguing otter facts that will interest kids and adults alike. The list of otter facts is just a snippet of all the amazing and interesting facts about otters. These otter facts printables are a fun resource for kids who love learning about the playful, friendly, and loving nature of otters.
Fun FActs About Otters for Kids
Did you know an otter’s lung capacity is 2.5 times that of a land mammal of the same size? It’s possible for a sea otter to stay submerged for more than 5 minutes and a river otter to hold their breath for up to 8 minutes!
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otter facts FOR KIDS
- Otters have short legs, long tails, sharp claws, strong forepaws and thick fur.
- Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae.
- They are very strong swimmers and have sensitive whiskers to detect the movement of prey.
- River otters like to live alone or in pairs, but they are still social animals and spend a large portion of their days playing together.
- A group of otters is called a bevy, family or lodge.
- Baby otters are born completely blind and stay blind for the first 30 to 40 days, depending on otter mothers during this time.
- There are 13 species of otter which live in Europe, Asia, Africa, North, Central and South America.
- Sea otters have the densest fur of any animal. Their dense fur contains between 600,000 to 1,000,000 hair follicles per square inch.
- Sea otters are keystone species as they help control the sea urchin population along the Pacific coast.
- Sea otter’s diet consists mostly of sea urchins, clams, mussels, and crabs.
- Some otter species are in the endangered species list because of human activities, habitat destruction and water pollution.
- Some otters like to sleep holding hands, so they can avoid drifting away from each other and their food source while they sleep.
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Otter Facts Coloring Pages
This pdf includes two coloring sheets loaded with otter facts you don’t want to miss. Print as many sets as needed and give them to friends or family!
Bonus Otter Facts
- River otters and sea otters are quite different. American river otters swim face down in salt or fresh water whereas sea otters swim on their backs only in seawater.
- Otter groups are for socializing but some will live together and often in coastal kelp forests.
- Male and female sea otters occupy separate sections of coastline with the pups residing with the mother.
- All otters are from the family Mustelidae. They are also a member of the weasel family.
- Otters have thick coats of water-resistant fur to keep them warm.
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