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Otter Babies

By: Chelsea Sankowski

Otter babies are considered “babies” or “pups”, for much longer than many other animals raised in the wild. When an animal is born in the wild, the caretaker (if it has one) is responsible for making the animal fit for survival as soon as possible in order to endure the dangers and difficulties that life in the wild brings.

A female otter will usually give birth to otter babies once a year. One pup per year is most common and definitely preferable. When a female in the wild gives birth to otter babies in pairs, one is generally abandoned as the mother cannot properly care for two at a time.

Otters are mammals, and as such, otter babies come into the world in a live birth. Otter babies weigh about 3 to 5 lbs. at birth. The birth of otter babies takes place in the water or on land. Otter babies are considered full grown at the age of three.

When otter babies grow up, they can be expected to measure at about 4 feet, and weigh 50 to 60 lbs.

Female otters are responsible for raising otter babies. In the otter world, once the female is impregnated the male plays no other role in the life of his offspring. A female otter may be found taking her otter baby to the river and teaching her offspring to wait patiently at a log in order to fish. Occasionally a large otter will join the mothers and otter babies when a male from that family sees it fit to show up. The male presence is not a constant in the life of otter babies, and more can be seen of the male socially when mating season takes place.

Otter babies are very social creatures, and quite comfortable in large groups; they will swim together and enjoy each others company as often as possible. otter babies may swim around other otter babies to try to catch a tail in a playful manner, and if the occasional growl is heard, it will probably be coming from a pup that is playing, and not from an adult.

Otter babies are raised much in the same way as human babies. Mother otters are constantly accompanied otter babies throughout the day. Mother otters nurse their otter babies much of the first year. Otter babies are usually weaned somewhere between six and twelve months of age.

The female otter is quite different from her male counterpart in size and personality. it is up to the females to raise otter babies and take on the role of educator and provider for the pups. Otter babies depend on their mothers almost entirely for the first year, and it isn’t until about seven months of age that otter babies will finally put much of the experience shared with their mother into practice and figure things out on their own. Until then, mother otters will feed their otter babies their milk and additional daily catches. During the first year, the mothers teach otter babies to fish, while they also toss fish their way for them to get the proper nourishment they wouldn’t get without her help.

Sea otter babies will live approximately 15 years. The male will live anywhere between 10 to 15 years, and the female will live from 15 to 20 years of age.

Article Source: http://animalarticles.com

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