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Otter Behavior

By: Jerard Purvis

To better understand otter behavior, it is important to know a little more about this remarkable animal that most people seem to know so little about.

Otter behavior is a very interesting phenomenon, however not very different from that of many other animals in the wild. When studying otter behavior, it is interesting to find that otter behavior depends, not entirely, but much on where the otter has made its home, the type of otter we are discussing (sea otter, river otter, etc.), and the amount of food supply available to them in general.

The beaver is an animal that looks a lot like the otter, and is somewhat otter behavior like. Unlike the otter however, the beaver comes from the Castoridae family and is considered a semi-aquatic rodent, whereas the otter is an aquatic (sometimes marine) carnivorous mammal.

As a general rule, otter behavior is very dynamic and entertaining. The otter behavior and its actions seem to denote an unlimited amount of fun combined with some very relaxed and lazy moments mixed in with very little else.

This observation on otter behavior is very broad and touches only on the surface of reality. At an aquarium, for example, thousands of onlookers will parade in front of the otter tanks and see that otter behavior is limited to not much other than fun and rest. As with most other captive animals, otter behavior is different in the wild than it is in one of the many large aquariums worldwide that often boast the presence of two or three otters. Both children and adults alike are entertained by otter behavior, which is filled with antics and increases in excitement during the otter’s programmed feeding time. Obviously, the otter behavior of these furry creatures would be quite different if they were required to forage and hunt for their own food.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California has “local” otters on display. They are very playful and love to do somersaults for the benefit of onlookers on any of the two levels (under water and above water where you can see them swim a backstroke) the aquarium has built for them.

Their playfulness and lazy attitude however can be deceiving. According to several biologists who have studied otter behavior, state that this mammal is a very smart, methodical animal that acts many times according to a plan or design it has created. Its fishing routine, for example, is designed and takes many things into account to include timing and temperature changes in and out of the water.

In observing the river otter behavior, a person could possibly see a mink stumble on some minnows, shiners or crayfish, whereas the otter will not stumble, the otter roams with a purpose.

Otter behavior, as mentioned, will also depend much on the otter’s food supply. An otter is off on a mission; it hunts, and rarely happens upon its prey, instead, it seeks it out. Upon even closer and lengthier observation, the otter will clearly develop a pattern in which foraging and resting seem to be its sole occupations, but there is much more to the life of an otter than that.

The female otter behavior is quite different than that of her male counterpart, as it is up to her to take on the role of educator and provider for her pups.

There is some competition when there is food to be found, but in places where food is plenty, otter behavior shows more concern about these social animals working around each other than against each other.

Article Source: http://animalarticles.com

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