An otter’s daily routine would usually focus on two main things: sleeping and finding/eating food. Otters declined catastrophically throughout England in the late 1950s. Discover Norfolk's wildlife, from our majestic marsh harriers to stunning swallowtail butterflies. Otters are largely solitary, semi-aquatic mammals that get most of their food from lochs, rivers or the sea. However, otters differ from similar species like beavers, muskrats, and nutria that feed on plants. 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. This conservation success story is the result of both better legal protection for otters and the banning of the pesticides which poisoned them. During the spring months amphibians form a large part of their diet. River otters are known to travel far to fish in other areas if they are finding it hard to find food. Their gestation period is 9 weeks and they can breed at any time of the year, although this usually occurs in spring. You can watch an otter eat an octopus in the above video. Otter swimming in a still stream showing a good reflection In the wild there are 13 different species of otter, and they’re found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Thus, the sea otter is one of the very few mammals to make an effective use of tools (t… The exception is the sea otter, which gives birth to its young in the water and keeps its pups on the mother’s underbelly until they are old enough to swim themselves. Coastal otters in Shetland eat bottom-living species such as eelpout, rockling and butterfish. Otter Diet: Otters live near water because it provides them with everything they need—including food. Otters may also occasionally prey on birds, rabbits, and rodents. The Asian short-clawed otter, which can be found in mountainous areas away from large sources of water, can also hunt ground-nesting birds and rodents. 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. The otter we see in the UK is the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). Otters prefer fish which they dive underwater to catch using their sharp teeth and powerful jaws. 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 – they absolutely love it!”. The river otter food chain also consists of mussels, bivalves, snails, cr… However, the marine otter and the sea otter live within coastal habitats, spending the majority of their lives at the coast. Their short ears and noses, coupled with their dense, cuddly fur certainly make otters one of the sea’s most adorable examples of marine life – but there’s definitely more to them than being little charmers. There are a variety of different otter species found within zoos and aquariums in the UK, most commonly the Asian Short-clawed otter, but other species such as giant otters and sea otters can also be found. And if you get lucky, what you might see otters catch and eat. And if you get lucky, what you might see otters catch and eat. They know that if they do this, they will receive a piece of food. They leave the protection of their mothers at 10 – 12 months and can breed at 2 years old. 6: NEVER BAIT AREAS OR OTTERS. 5. However, when fish is scarce, they eat insects, frogs, birds and other mammals like rodents. Excellent and lithe swimmers, the young are in the water by 10 weeks of age. Today, the species is flourishing across Scotland, and recovering well across the UK as waterways are cleaned up. River otters are apex predators in their food web. How do I tell the difference between a mink and an otter? The otter increase Otter numbers in the UK had dropped very low by the 1970s, partly due to the effects of certain pesticides. What can visitors expect from their experience of otters at Blue Reef Aquarium? I have spent more time over the last two months in the company of wild otters than I have with other adult humans. All otters are expert hunters that eat fish, crustaceans, and other critters. The primary source of food for the Otter is fish. All otters are expert hunters that eat fish, crustaceans, and other critters. Like weasels, otters have short legs and long flexible bodies. These are very important, as they are used to communicate with other otters. With the ability to smell concentrations of fish and their high metabolisms, otters spend most of their time hunting for their next meal. Otters are carnivorous animals and fish make up 80% of their diet. of food daily. Otters like shallow water with plenty of fish. Throughout the year. 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. What do otters eat? Contributed by: Elizabeth Dack. River otters eat 15% to 20% of their total body weight each day. Sea otters and also the African Clawless Otter have broad molar teeth for crushing shellfish whereas the teeth of the European otter are narrower for slicing through fish. Despite their sleek bodies, these mammals can eat food amounting to as much as 25% of their body weight. In Norfolk by the 1970s most traditional otter sites were deserted and whole river systems no longer supported any otters. What sort of things have you trained them to do? The primary diet of sea otters consists of aquatic invertebrates including crustaceans, sea urchins, mollusks and fish. “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. There a bunch of different activities including cutting + tracing practice, do-a-dot pages, 4-part apology cards and more! 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. Every event is enjoyable for all ages, making them a wonderful way for families to explore the natural world together. 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. Newborns are only about 12cm long but grow quickly and can swim at three months. 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.”. This helps them make tight turns underwater as they chase after prey. 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. Otters are meat eaters. 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. A fish farmer who claims his business was ruined after otters ate all of his 22,000 prized carp has been told his argument for damages is "hopeless". A carnivorous family of mammals that also includes minks, polecats, weasels, ferrets and badgers, they all share non-retractable claws, a long body with short legs and a high metabolism, so they can eat more than usual without gaining weight.Â. Contributed by: David Jackson, Two otters nose to nose in the dyke 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. They’re renowned for preying on hard-shelled marine invertebrates, including abalones, sea urchins, clams, mussels and crabs, usually fracturing the shells with their teeth. They have webbed feet for swimming, dense fur for warmth, and can close their ears and nose underwater. 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. Otters are accustomed to preying on live animals; hunting is an integral part of an otter’s life. “We also do a daily feed and talk at 2pm, when the otters are given their lunch whilst a 10/15-minute talk is given by an animal care team member. Dawn and dusk are the most likely times to chance upon an otter. Since then, due to safer use of agro-chemicals and deliberate protection measures for otters, their numbers have steadily increased. Their carnivorous diet is wide-ranging – Roger Cottis once watched an otter drag a conger eel from the sea and devour every inch of it, and if they had the choice, otters would probably dine exclusively on … In the UK otters can only really be confused with the introduced American mink, but otters are much larger (95-130cm in length, including tail), with a distinctive white throat. However, it’s also known that the young ones will stay with their mother until they are mature enough to start their own families. An otter can roam 10kms in one night. If opportunity presents itself, an otter will eat a … Besides, they also prefer to eat crabs, large barnacles, mussels, snails, tubeworms, clams, squid, octopuses, chitons, scallops, sea cucumbers, sea stars and abalone. From a conservation point of view, only the North American river otter is considered to be of ‘Least Concern’, and isn’t the focus of conservation. Otters occasionally take water birds such as coots, moorhens and ducks. Otters occasionally take water birds such as coots, moorhens and … The river otter food chain consists mostly of fish. We are on the hunt for images of particular species in Norfolk... have you managed to snap one? Below, an otter catches and brings a crab ashore to eat. on 03/10/2019. on 13/11/2019. Come and discover wildlife as a family! With the ability to smell concentrations of fish and their high metabolisms, otters spend most of their time hunting for their next meal. Joining us today makes a real difference to Norfolk. Otters have their cubs in underground burrows, known as 'holts'. 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. Support conservation campaigns to protect wetland areas and ensure our rivers and waterways are free from pollution. Their diet consists of roughly 80% fish, but they will prey upon birds, mammals and frogs if fish are in short supply. An adult otter needs to eat about 20% of its body weight per day. 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. Your support helps us protect the future of that wildlife and helps us inspire people to value nature. © FLPA/ Alamy Stock Photo “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. 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 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. Doing so may change otter behaviour patterns and will be VERY detrimental to the species. A Eurasian otter feeding on a common roach caught in a river in Thetford. When were Otters reintroduced to Norfolk? 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. Being a semi-aquatic and nocturnal creature does, though, make this furtive animal difficult to spot. Although once considered to be on the brink of extinction in the wild across the UK, it’s now recorded that otters can be found in almost all counties, though it’s a rare and lucky occurrence to see these mammals in the wild. Reproduction In England and Wales otter cubs, usually in litters of two or three, can be born at any time of the year. 2. Sea otters are even able to drink sea water, as their kidneys are large enough to extract fresh water from the sea water. 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. They aren’t picky eaters though as they will consume just about anything they can find to survive on. “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. Unlike other otters, having a soft undercoat, sea otters possess fur with thick hard hair. The number of otters is increasing in Norfolk. Coastal otters in Shetland eat bottom-living species such as eelpout, rockling and butterfish. The elusive otter is one of our top predators, feeding mainly on fish (particularly eels and salmonids), waterbirds, amphibians and crustaceans. 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. What do otters eat? However, when fish is scarce, they eat insects, frogs, birds and other mammals like rodents. The river otter food web plays a crucial role in the environments the river otter calls home. They catch prey with their teeth. Be warned, it’s rather gruesome viewing with the tentacle-less octopus changing colour as it’s being eaten alive. 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. The majority of species, including the Asian short-clawed otter, the Eurasian otter, marine otter, giant otter and hairy-nose otter, are known to have a gestation period of up to 9 weeks. 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. Sea otters are the only species of otter to exhibit this behaviour whilst sleeping, resting and eating to ensure group members do not drift off with the currents. How do I know if otters are present on a site? It depends on the species and whether they live in the wild or not. The North American river otter and sea otter, meanwhile, can have gestation periods of 4-12 months. Cubs are usually born in a holt in a bank, or between rocks or tree roots. 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! The planning process has an important part to play in safeguarding the future of our wildlife and the environments they inhabit. However, due to the fur trade, illegal pet trade and problems with fishermen, the biggest predator of otters are actually humans. Coastal otters in Shetland eat bottom-living species such as eelpout, rockling and butterfish. 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. Otters tend to live in a holt, which is normally a hole in a river or lakeside bank or in a tree root. on 28/08/2018. At times our otters can be quite playful with the keepers. Excellent and lithe swimmers, the young are in the water by 10 weeks of age. Otters share similarities with other mammals, especially those found within the same family: the mustelidae. They have a unique foraging habit because they use rocks to kill their prey. As well as fish, otters sometimes consume crustaceans (such as crayfish and crabs), amphibians and even insects, waterbirds and small mammals. So, a 50-pound otter would need to eat about 10-15 pounds of food per day. “We do a training move wherein we offer out our closed fist above the otter’s head that they touch with their nose. NWT Ranworth Broad and NWT Barton Broad are just two places where otters are regularly recorded in Norfolk. Giant otters and sea otters spend most of their days awake and about. Fish are relatively insignificant in their diets. Why Otter Population in the UK Dropped We all love talking about the otters and our other animals, so are always open for questions throughout the day from visitors.”. All in all, the sea otter preys on at least 100 different marine species. A large male may consume as much as 11 kg (25 lb.) They enjoy carp, sunfish, minnows, suckers, sculpin and salmonids such as trout and salmon. 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. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that they indulge in food that can be found in and around rivers. Contributed by: Elizabeth Dack, Otter 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. Most otters can’t survive without access to fresh water. Otters are adapted to life on both land and in water. They will also feed on mussels and limpets on the seashore and when on land they hunt down frogs, waterfowl, voles and even rabbits. Otters are carnivorous animals and fish make up 80% of their diet. Therefore, they tend to be prolific and efficient hunters, preferring prey that’s slow and easy to catch. Cute and full of charisma, the otters at Blue Reef Aquarium are some of our visitors’ favourite animals. Do you have a question about Norfolk's wildlife? Many otters eat tough food, particularly sea otters that inhabit the shallow coastal waters of the northern Pacific. Sea otters have an ingenious method to open shellfish. Otters also have an acute sense of smell! at River Bure The otter is a fish hunter, though it happily eats waterbirds, amphibians and crustaceans too, including American signal crayfish. Most species have webbed feet, and all have long, sensitive whiskers and thick, water-repellent fur. 7: Never remove spraints (dung). The otters have thick, hard fur of a brownish color, a light belly and a muzzle. Pet otters eat a lot. How to prevent otters predating fisheries and ponds. 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. 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. Together we can save Norfolk's wildlife - become a member today. All other species of otter are recorded as Near Threatened, Vulnerable or Endangered. Contributed by: Elizabeth Dack, Juvenile otter The Scottish population is estimated to be around 8000 otters. River otters prefer larger fish due to ease of capture; larger prey gives river otters more energy as well. For more information on how to see them, as well as Blue Reef Aquarium’s incredible array of other marine life, be sure to visit the homepage. Their habitats can differ from species to species. The sea otter, one of the 13 otter species, is considered the smallest marine mammal in the world. When they are hungry for larger game, otters will attack birds, young beavers, and muskrats. damage or destroy an otter’s breeding or resting site. River otters also prefer slower-moving fish to game fish. Methods of Collecting Food. In the spring, frogs are an important food item. Shetland Otters. Our otters at the sanctuary are fed a variety of fish including salmon, trout, eels and a food mix … Otter numbers in the UK have increased slightly in recent years but the Eurasian otter is still classed as … Otters are apex predators and therefore what they eat and how they are doing is a great indicator of the lochs overall health. Clawless otters, on the other hand, are nocturnal. deliberately kill, injure or take an otter from the wild without a licence; deliberately disturb an otter in its resting place or. The otter’s droppings are known as spraint and otters use them to mark their territories. Otter at Strumpshaw Fen by Elizabeth Dack. Sea otters can live around 10-15 years, whereas Eurasian otters are lucky to reach 4-years-old in the wild. What is the real level of risk to your pond and can you do anything about it? What’s your favourite part about working with our otters? River otters eat a variety of fish and shellfish, as well as small land mammals and birds. With its broad head and long, wide tail the otter has a very distinctive appearance and is easily identified. Otters are carnivores, and will eat a large quantity of fish, crayfish, frogs, crabs, insects and small birds in the area that they live because they must consume their weight in food every day to live. Otters have their cubs in underground burrows, known as 'holts'. Otters are accustomed to preying on live animals; hunting is an integral part of … Looking to meet Ralph and Selma for yourself? In the spring, frogs are an important food item. Today though, otters have returned to most of their former haunts in Norfolk. In We talked to one of our trainers about what it’s like spending time with these two amazing creatures. They grow to one meter (3 to 4 ft) in length and weigh from five to 15 kilograms (10 to 30 lb). All but one species uses inland dens to give birth and look after their young, while protecting them from predators. Cape clawless and Asian small-clawed otters feed mainly on crabs and other crustaceans, molluscs, and frogs. Giant otters eat mainly fishes and crabs. Otters weigh 35-90 pounds (males weigh more than females). Droppings (spraints) and footprints are more likely to be seen than the actual animal. Mating occurs at any time of the year and females give birth to 2 – 3 cubs, usually between May and August. An otters diet mainly consists of fish, however, it can also include birds, insects, frogs, crustaceans and small mammals. What do Otters Eat and Where Do They Live? 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. River otter species can be either, though most are usually more active at night. They will also feed on mussels and limpets on the seashore and when on land they hunt down frogs, waterfowl, voles and even rabbits. 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. 8: Stay aware. The types of them will depend on the season as well as where they happen to live. Some other common items that they will … Diet: Fish, especially eels and salmonids are eaten by the otter, and crayfish at certain times of the year. Otters are now very common along the coast of Norway and in Northern Britain, especially Shetland where 12% of the UK breeding population exist. Pet otters eat a lot. on 15/10/2019. 3. They also eat crustaceans, frogs and even small water birds. Sea otters have an ingenious method to open shellfish. Because otters eat mainly fish, you’ll generally find them in areas where there are plenty of this food source. Also the enemy is a man. River otters' main source of food is fish, but otters are opportunists by nature and will eat a wide variety of foods. An adult otter needs to eat about 20% of its body weight per day. Please remain aware of how the otter is behaving. 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. In some areas, this is a protected species, and some places have otter sanctuaries that help sick and injured otters to recover. Plus, one of our trainers is on hand to introduce you to the otters that you can encounter for yourself! 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