Did you know?

• Otters are really good at hunting, really good! Their eyes are small but specialized at viewing prey in the dark and in murky water.

• Otters have long, sensitive whiskers that detect vibrations underwater and they have a super sense of smell. They can smell fish even before they can see them.

• Otters are fantastic underwater athletes. They can hold their breath underwater for up to 8 minutes. They even have the ability to close off their ears and nostrils so that no water gets in.

• They have strong, muscular bodies that make them excellent swimmers.

• Otters are even faster on land. Believe it or not, they can run even faster (up to 18mph) than they swim.

• Otters spend about two-thirds of their lives on land and travel up to 50 miles (sometimes more!) visiting a variety of rivers and ponds in search of food.

• Otters have an incredibly speedy metabolism. Meals make their way through their digestive tract in about an hour (compared to up to 8 hours for humans). That means they are almost always on the hunt for their next meal.

• Otters love to play! Sometimes they play just to have fun – if you’re lucky, you can see them somersaulting, wrestling, sliding, and flipflopping along the riverbanks.

• They also use play for more serious endeavors – like socialization, practice hunting, and learning new skills.