Otter

Otters are marine mammals with long, slender, furry bodies, short arms and webbed paws. Different variations of otters can be found in both North America and South America, along with parts of Asia, Central America and Africa. Otters are related to weasels and badgers, and are the only members of the weasel family with a great propensity for swimming.http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-otter.html

Four species of otter, including the sea otter are considered to be endangered, while three other variations are considered vulnerable. Otters have a life span of 15 to 20 years, and while most litters can have two to five pups in it, usually only one or two will survive from a litter.http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/devon_bap/otter.htm

One difference between otters and other marine mammals is the lack of a layer of blubber underneath their fur to keep them warm. Instead, the otter relies on a dense second coat of fur which traps warm air in order to maintain heat. The top coat of fur is waterproof and keeps the second coat from getting wet and creating a potential loss of the warm air.http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-otter.html

Otters usually start swimming as pups around the two month mark and stay with their parents and siblings until they are nearly a year old before striking out on their own. They rely on a mainly fish oriented diet, though other seafood is incorporated as well when it is available. These may vary from crayfish, crabs, mollusks, frogs, sea urchins or clams, depending on the type of otter and where it lives.

The sea otter is the smallest marine mammal known to man and the only one in the order Carnivora.http://www.allthesea.com/Sea-Otter.html The sea otter was also hunted prodigiously during the 18th and 19th centuries for its pelt, due to its warmth and high value. As a result of this, the sea otter was nearly wiped from the map in North America during this time. River otters in North America and Europe are known to share dens with beavers, without having to do any of the work building them.http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-otter.html