Otters are members of the sub family Lutrinae, a branch of
the family Musteildae that includes weasels, rodents and badgers. A female
otter is referred to as "bitch", a male otter a "dog" and a baby otter is
called a "whelp." Otters live in dens beside the water called a "couch" or a
"holt." The word "otter" comes from the
old English and is a reference to water. Otters are semi aquatic fish eating
mammals.
There are 13 species of otters and the fish loving mammals
can be found around the globe. They are known to eat fish but will also eat
small birds and amphibians such as frogs. With the exception of sea otters,
otters have strong tails and short limbs. They have clawed feet for diggings
and hunting and double layered fur to keep them warm in cold water.
Otters are extremely active mammals and spend their days
building their homes and hunting for food. With high metabolic rates, otters
replenish anywhere between 15 and 25 percent of their body weight every day.