Page 23 - World of Animals - Issue #33
P. 23

Otters of the world


                                                                                                   Otters of the
                                                                                                   Americas


                                                                         Otters have the
                                                                        densest fur of any
                                                                      mammal in the world to
                                                                     equip them for a life spent
                                                                    in the cold water. They can
                                                                    have as many as one million
                                                                     hairs per square inch. By
                                                                     comparison, the average
                                                                        human has around           Sea otter
                                                                      100,000 hairs on their       Otters that hold hands when they sleep
                                                                                                   Found in the north Pacific, sea otters help fight
                                                                          entire head.             climate change by feeding on animals that prey
                                                                                                   on kelp forests, helping to reduce atmospheric
                                                                                                   carbon dioxide and maintain a healthy ecosystem.











                                                                                                   Southern river otter
                                                                                                   The adaptable otter that lives alone
                                                                                                   The river otter inhabits both marine and fresh
                                                                                                   waters. They are under threat from the conversion
                                                                                                   of waterways into canals and irrigation channels.











                                                                                                   Neotropical otter
                                                                                                   A saboteur of the fishing industry
                                                                                                   The neotropical otter’s diet consists of fish and
                                                                                                   crustaceans, but when hunting is too much work,
                                                                                                   they plunder the local fishnets for an easy meal.











                                                                                                   Marine otter
                                                                                                   Also known as the sea cat
                                                                                                   Their fur is much tougher and coarser than sea
                                                                                                   otters as these crazy cats spend much of their time
                                                                                                   in the rough surf surrounded by jagged rocks.











                                                                                                   North American river otter
                                                                                                   An animal that’s easily pleased
                                                                                                   Found in a wide variety of habitats with high quality
                                                                                                   water and an abundance of fish, shrimp and
                                                                                                   molluscs, these animals are very satisfied.


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