There are many natural predators of otters, such as bobcats, coyotes, wolves, bears and foxes, as well sea lions, orcas, great white sharks, alligators and crocodiles. This helps them make tight turns underwater as they chase after prey. Cute and full of charisma, the otters at Blue Reef Aquarium are some of our visitorsâ favourite animals. Otters weigh 35-90 pounds (males weigh more than females). The otter we see in the UK is the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). Do Unto Otters Preschool Pack - Simply Learning Here is a free printable pack that I designed to go along with the book Do Unto Otters. River otters eat 15% to 20% of their total body weight each day. Thus, the sea otter is one of the very few mammals to make an effective use of tools (t… However, when fish is scarce, they eat insects, frogs, birds and other mammals like rodents. Despite their sleek bodies, these mammals can eat food amounting to as much as 25% of their body weight. They have a unique foraging habit because they use rocks to kill their prey. In the wild, most species of otter feed on fish and crustaceans, with river otters feeding on prey like freshwater fish, mussels, crabs, crayfish and frogs, and saltwater otters eating marine prey such as shellfish, sea urchins and shrimp. “We can even use this to weigh them weekly by holding our fists over scales, getting them onto their hind legs to show us their underbellies or even to do some agility training over platforms to see how well their limbs are working. Contributed by: Elizabeth Dack, Otter The average otter is 1–1.3 metres in length, and weighs up to 9kg. All other species of otter are recorded as Near Threatened, Vulnerable or Endangered. © FLPA/ Alamy Stock Photo damage or destroy an otter’s breeding or resting site. Fish, especially eels and salmonids are eaten, and crayfish at certain times of the year. 5. Their habitats can differ from species to species. In We all love talking about the otters and our other animals, so are always open for questions throughout the day from visitors.â. River otters and giant otters hunt by using their vibrissae to detect movements of prey in the water. The river otter food chain consists mostly of fish. Besides, they also prefer to eat crabs, large barnacles, mussels, snails, tubeworms, clams, squid, octopuses, chitons, scallops, sea cucumbers, sea stars and abalone. NWT Ranworth Broad and NWT Barton Broad are just two places where otters are regularly recorded in Norfolk. Your support helps us protect the future of that wildlife and helps us inspire people to value nature. As the Asian short-clawed otter is the least aquatic species of otter, I love coming in some mornings and seeing them swimming in their provided pool and playing with each other.â. How do I tell the difference between a mink and an otter? From a conservation point of view, only the North American river otter is considered to be of âLeast Concernâ, and isn’t the focus of conservation. With the ability to smell concentrations of fish and their high metabolisms, otters spend most of their time hunting for their next meal. The otters have thick, hard fur of a brownish color, a light belly and a muzzle. They leave the protection of their mothers at 10 – 12 months and can breed at 2 years old. In the UK IOSF is the only charity solely dedicated to the conservation, protection and care of otters based on years of scientific research in the UK and around the world. So, a 50-pound otter would need to eat about 10-15 pounds of food per day. at River Bure UK otters live on the coast in in freshwater generic nolvadex bodybuilding rivers and lakes. The North American river otter and sea otter, meanwhile, can have gestation periods of 4-12 months. Otters will mainly feed on fish (40-90% of their diet)and will take a variety of species depending on the time of year, species such as carp, stickleback and eels. Otters are carnivorous animals and fish make up 80% of their diet. Otters prefer fish which they dive underwater to catch using their sharp teeth and powerful jaws. River otters are apex predators in their food web. To stay warm in the water for so long, otters have incredibly thick fur, and very fast metabolisms, which means they need to eat a lot – 20% of their body weight per day, during certain months. Otters are largely solitary, semi-aquatic mammals that get most of their food from lochs, rivers or the sea. During mealtimes, we separate them out to keep food aggression to an absolute minimum, but like most siblings, Ralph and Selma can get a little angry with each other. The Wildlife Information Service is here to give advice and answer any questions you may have about Norfolk’s wildlife. They will also feed on mussels and limpets on the seashore and when on land they hunt down frogs, waterfowl, voles and even rabbits. What do otters eat? of food daily. What can visitors expect from their experience of otters at Blue Reef Aquarium? Most otters canât survive without access to fresh water. Some other common items that they will … And if you get lucky, what you might see otters catch and eat. The otter is a fish hunter, though it happily eats waterbirds, amphibians and crustaceans too, including American signal crayfish. The river otter food web plays a crucial role in the environments the river otter calls home. Otter Diet: Otters live near water because it provides them with everything they need—including food. deliberately kill, injure or take an otter from the wild without a licence; deliberately disturb an otter in its resting place or. They are carnivorous, and most species eat a variety of fish, amphibians, shellfish, crabs, and other aquatic creatures. This means if Otters are going well, we can look at activities that have happened and do more of it, like our oyster reintroduction - see below. We are on the hunt for images of particular species in Norfolk... have you managed to snap one? at NWT Cley In the spring, frogs are an important food item. at NWT Hickling An adult otter needs to eat about 20% of its body weight per day. Otters prefer fish which they dive underwater to catch using their sharp teeth and powerful jaws. The primary diet of sea otters consists of aquatic invertebrates including crustaceans, sea urchins, mollusks and fish. However, otters differ from similar species like beavers, muskrats, and nutria that feed on plants. Quiet back waters of the Norfolk broads, reed-fringed freshwater dykes and many of Norfolk’s rivers including the Wensum, Bure, Yare and Nar provide just these conditions. River otters are known to travel far to fish in other areas if they are finding it hard to find food. Reproduction In England and Wales otter cubs, usually in litters of two or three, can be born at any time of the year. Sea otters are even able to drink sea water, as their kidneys are large enough to extract fresh water from the sea water. Dawn and dusk are the most likely times to chance upon an otter. on 13/11/2019. Do you have a question about Norfolk's wildlife? At Blue Reef Aquarium Portsmouth, we have Ralph and Selma, a pair of 14-year-old otters both born in the same litter within the enclosure they still live in! An otterâs daily routine would usually focus on two main things: sleeping and finding/eating food. Otter at Strumpshaw Fen by Elizabeth Dack. They will also use some of their day to groom in between rest periods, as otters do not sleep once a day like humans would; they have several rest periods throughout the day and night. An otters diet mainly consists of fish, however, it can also include birds, insects, frogs, crustaceans and small mammals. I have spent more time over the last two months in the company of wild otters than I have with other adult humans. Otters share similarities with other mammals, especially those found within the same family: the mustelidae. Contributed by: David Jackson, Two otters nose to nose in the dyke The river otter food chain also consists of mussels, bivalves, snails, cr… Otters are well suited to a life on the water as they have webbed feet, dense fur to keep them warm, and can close their ears and nose when underwater. Today though, otters have returned to most of their former haunts in Norfolk. Otters have to eat a massive 25% of their body weight every day to maintain weight, and because of their high metabolism, they have to spend around 60% of their time hunting and the other 40% resting. One species of otter is native to the UK: the Eurasian or European otter, which is found across Europe, even reaching some parts of Asia and Africa too. The number of otters is increasing in Norfolk. The sea otter is only found in salt water, where it prefers to eat invertebrates such as shellfish. Joining us today makes a real difference to Norfolk. In Norfolk by the 1970s most traditional otter sites were deserted and whole river systems no longer supported any otters. Otters were released by the Otter Trust in Norfolk between 1984 and 1997 with the approval of the statutory conservation bodies existing at the time; there have been no releases since then (other than orphaned otters which are released by the RSPCA as close as possible to the location that they came from). How do I know if otters are present on a site? Also the enemy is a man. Like weasels, otters have short legs and long flexible bodies. Coastal otters in Shetland eat bottom-living species such as eelpout, rockling and butterfish. These are very important, as they are used to communicate with other otters. A large male may consume as much as 11 kg (25 lb.) Cley Calling Presents: Megan McCubbin And Chris Packham, Walking on the Edge of Norfolk - CANCELLED, NWT receives grant of £166,600 from the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund, Killer shrimp discovered in Trinity Broads, Remembering Richard Waddingham – farmer and pond conservationist. Pet otters eat a lot. Sea otters have an ingenious method to open shellfish. In the UK, one of the biggest natural predators of Eurasian otters is birds of prey, which are likely to swoop down on small otter pups. Because otters eat mainly fish, you’ll generally find them in areas where there are plenty of this food source. Otters have their cubs in underground burrows, known as 'holts'. Otters are accustomed to preying on live animals; hunting is an integral part of … Methods of Collecting Food. Excellent and lithe swimmers, the young are in the water by 10 weeks of age. Unlike other otters, having a soft undercoat, sea otters possess fur with thick hard hair. This conservation success story is the result of both better legal protection for otters and the banning of the pesticides which poisoned them. The sea otter, one of the 13 otter species, is considered the smallest marine mammal in the world. 6: NEVER BAIT AREAS OR OTTERS. The elusive otter is one of our top predators, feeding mainly on fish (particularly eels and salmonids), waterbirds, amphibians and crustaceans. Droppings (spraints) and footprints are more likely to be seen than the actual animal. “They can expect high levels of cuteness from our otters, like when Ralph is juggling his pebbles or Selma does her scent-marking dance around the enclosure. What is the real level of risk to your pond and can you do anything about it? Fish are relatively insignificant in their diets. How … All otters are expert hunters that eat fish, crustaceans, and other critters. Otters are now very common along the coast of Norway and in Northern Britain, especially Shetland where 12% of the UK breeding population exist. Otter swimming in a still stream showing a good reflection Their gestation period is 9 weeks and they can breed at any time of the year, although this usually occurs in spring. Our otters at the sanctuary are fed a variety of fish including salmon, trout, eels and a food mix … Otter families can be quite large, with some having around 20 members, and it’s common for the babies to stay within the same family. River otters prefer larger fish due to ease of capture; larger prey gives river otters more energy as well. on 03/10/2019. Their diet consists of roughly 80% fish, but they will prey upon birds, mammals and frogs if fish are in short supply. Otters may also occasionally prey on birds, rabbits, and rodents. With the ability to smell concentrations of fish and their high metabolisms, otters spend most of their time hunting for their next meal. Being a semi-aquatic and nocturnal creature does, though, make this furtive animal difficult to spot. River otters also prefer slower-moving fish to game fish. Today, the species is flourishing across Scotland, and recovering well across the UK as waterways are cleaned up. An otter can roam 10kms in one night. What sort of things have you trained them to do? Eurasian otters are indigenous to the UK and can be found in either fresh or salt water, although it’s usually known as the river otter for the obvious reason. Looking to meet Ralph and Selma for yourself? Visitors are also more likely to smell our otters before even seeing them, they love to scent mark, which helps us to do lots of enrichment by introducing different scents or even moving around their enclosure every day. Otters tend to live in a holt, which is normally a hole in a river or lakeside bank or in a tree root. Plus, one of our trainers is on hand to introduce you to the otters that you can encounter for yourself! Cubs are usually born in a holt in a bank, or between rocks or tree roots. Otters are meat eaters. One of their favourite games to play is when we get our waders on and get into their pool using a net, they like to sneak up behind us and when we turn around they swim off â they absolutely love it!”. Be warned, it’s rather gruesome viewing with the tentacle-less octopus changing colour as it’s being eaten alive. The otter’s droppings are known as spraint and otters use them to mark their territories. 7: Never remove spraints (dung). Otters have their cubs in underground burrows, known as 'holts'. Contributed by: Elizabeth Dack. Otters occasionally take water birds such as coots, moorhens and ducks. Otter populations crashed to near extinction across most of lowland England by the mid 1970’s as a result of pesticide poisoning, loss of habitat and hunting. Otters are meat eaters. When were Otters reintroduced to Norfolk? Otters are apex predators and therefore what they eat and how they are doing is a great indicator of the lochs overall health. Coastal otters in Shetland eat bottom-living species such as eelpout, rockling and butterfish. Sea otters have a high metabolic rate (that is, they use a high amount of energy) that is 2-3 times that of other mammals their size. What Do Otters Eat Regularly? Called a ‘raft’, the act has also been thought to be mating behaviour as competition between males can be fierce; some males like to hold the hands of their mates to make sure the female is not taken by another male. Sea otters eat about 20-30% of their body weight each day. In some areas, this is a protected species, and some places have otter sanctuaries that help sick and injured otters to recover. The low life expectancy for some species of otter is down to a few things, including habitat destruction, deforestation, the pet and fur trade, and also their high metabolism. The Scottish population is estimated to be around 8000 otters. Coastal otters in Shetland eat bottom-living species such as eelpout, rockling and butterfish. There a bunch of different activities including cutting + tracing practice, do-a-dot pages, 4-part apology cards and more! As aquatic mammals, otters spend most of their time in the water. It is worth pointing out that since the 1970s, otters have also spread naturally from western lowland England back across the Midlands into eastern England, so the release programme simply speeded up their natural re-colonisation of Norfolk. Incredible Facts About This Amazing Animal, Junior Aquarist and VIP Behind the Scenes Experience, The Daily Routine of an Otter in the Wild, Meet the Otters at Blue Reef Aquarium Portsmouth. They know that if they do this, they will receive a piece of food. Otters occasionally take water birds such as coots, moorhens and ducks. 4. Below, an otter catches and brings a crab ashore to eat. What do Otters Eat? Sea otters eat a wide variety of prey, including marine invertebrates such as echinoderms (sea stars and sea urchins), crustaceans (e.g., crabs), cephalopods (e.g., squid), bivalves (clams, mussels, abalone), gastropods (snails), and chitons. However, the marine otter and the sea otter live within coastal habitats, spending the majority of their lives at the coast. You can watch an otter eat an octopus in the above video. As much as I really shouldn’t anthropomorphise these wild animals, I’m afraid I do. However, when fish is scarce, they eat insects, frogs, birds and other mammals like rodents. They enjoy carp, sunfish, minnows, suckers, sculpin and salmonids such as trout and salmon. River otter species can be either, though most are usually more active at night. Together we can save Norfolk's wildlife - become a member today. Otters are adapted to life on both land and in water. Volunteers play a very important part in the success of Norfolk Wildlife Trust and we really value their support and commitment. River otters' main source of food is fish, but otters are opportunists by nature and will eat a wide variety of foods. From the wild north coast to the sandy heaths of Breckland, the Norfolk Broads to ancient woodlands, Norfolk’s diverse habitats are home to a stunning variety of wildlife. Cape clawless and Asian small-clawed otters feed mainly on crabs and other crustaceans, molluscs, and frogs. “My favourite part of working with our otters is learning about their individual personalities, watching their eating habits and the things they each like to do when awake and around their enclosure. The young otters are hunted by sharks, predatory seabirds and animals. Sea otters can live around 10-15 years, whereas Eurasian otters are lucky to reach 4-years-old in the wild. However, it’s also known that the young ones will stay with their mother until they are mature enough to start their own families. Sea otters have an ingenious method to open shellfish. What’s your favourite part about working with our otters? The exception is the sea otter, which gives birth to its young in the water and keeps its pups on the motherâs underbelly until they are old enough to swim themselves. Diet: Fish, especially eels and salmonids are eaten by the otter, and crayfish at certain times of the year. At times our otters can be quite playful with the keepers. Here, we’ll present some amazing facts about otters, including their habitat, what they like to eat, and just why they like to hold hands with each other. The otter increase Otter numbers in the UK had dropped very low by the 1970s, partly due to the effects of certain pesticides. For more information on how to see them, as well as Blue Reef Aquariumâs incredible array of other marine life, be sure to visit the homepage. All but one species uses inland dens to give birth and look after their young, while protecting them from predators. , whereas Eurasian otters are actually humans the same family: the.. Crucial role in the wild reach 4-years-old in the above video majority of their days and. 100 different marine species, as well in a still stream showing a good reflection at Strumpshaw on... 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