Fast Facts for Kids
Otter Facts for Kids

Otter Facts for Kids

  • Common Name: Otter
  • Class: Mammalia
  • Order: Carnivora
  • Subfamily: Lutrinae
  • Diet: Carnivorous (Meat)
  • Total Species: 13
  • First Appeared: 5 to 7 million years ago

18 Otter Facts For Kids

  1. Otter is the common name for a small group of mammals in the Lutrinae family.
  2. You can identify an otter by their slim, long bodies with short limbs, long tails, and cute faces.
  3. There are currently 13 otter species that have been described by scientists.
  4. Otter species are either semi-aquatic, aquatic (freshwater), or marine (saltwater).
  5. Otters are carnivores and due to fish being their primary source of food they are classified as a piscivore (eats fish).
  6. The diet of an otter is almost exclusively fish, but can sometimes include shellfish, small mammals, and birds.
  7. Otter species come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
  8. The smaller otter species weigh only 2.2 pounds, while the larger otter species can weigh up to 100 pounds.
  9. The smaller otter species have a length of only 2 feet, while the large otter species have a length up to 6 feet.
  10. The smallest otter species is the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) with a weight range between 6 and 7.7 pounds.
  11. The largest otter species is the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) with a weight range between 30 and 100 pounds.
  12. An otter can swim between 6 and 7 miles per hour.
  13. An otter can dive up to 60 feet dive in search of food or to escape a predator.
  14. An otter can hold its breath between 4 and 8 minutes, varying by species.
  15. The Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus) is an otter species native to Africa.
  16. The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is an otter species native to North America.
  17. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is an otter species native to Eurasia (Asia and Europe).
  18. The giant otter or giant river otter is an otter species native to South America.

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Otter Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on otters. Below are three pictures of various otter species. These pictures should help you better understand the different types of otters found around the world.

Otters on a rock

A picture of an otter floating in the water.

An otter floating in the water

A picture of an otter swimming in the water.

Otter swimming in the water

A picture of an otter swimming underwater.

Otter Resources

We hope you found the above otter facts, information, data, and pictures both fun and educational. You can continue to research otters using one of the below additional resources. They were chosen for their credibility and accuracy; you can trust their information when it comes to otters. Thank you for choosing Fast Facts for Kids.