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Amazing Otter Facts KIDS CORNER AMAZING OTTER FACTS This document aims to teach you about otters. This presentation has the following structure: Slide 1 - What is an Otter? Slide 2 - Species of Otter Slide 3 - The River Otter Slide 4 - The Giant Otter Slide 5 - The Sea Otter Slide 6 - Threats to the Otter Slide 7 - Threats to the Otter Slide 8 - Australian Curriculum Mapping KIDS CORNER AMAZING OTTER FACTS What is an Otter? Otters have been around for at least five million years. During which time, they have adapted to live both on land and in water. They have webbed feet and the ability to close their nose and ears underwater. Otters are widely considered to be playful animals. Search YouTube and you will find dozens of clips of otters speeding down waterslides. Some suggest that otters are not actually playing, rather they are using water as means of locomotion, however scientists investigated this using remote video cameras and they concluded that the animals slide down water for the sheer enjoyment of it. There are thirteen species of otter. They come in many sizes. KIDS CORNER AMAZING OTTER FACTS The River Otter The North American river otter has adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. It has thick fur for warmth in the cold water, short legs and webbed feet to swim faster, a streamlined body and a strong tail for faster movement in the water. These otters can stay underwater for about eight minutes while foraging for food. The river otter is also equally at home on land. In fact, they can walk many miles at a time, however these nightly jaunts are an increasingly risky activity due to habitat changes. This species of otter is not highly sociable – males and females only come together when courting or mating, which occurs twice a year after they are 2-3 years old. While they can live about eight years in the wild, they are sensitive to pollution and cannot survive in highly polluted waters. KIDS CORNER AMAZING OTTER FACTS The Giant Otter The giant otter is the only mustelid (member of the weasel family) that mates with only one partner. While these otters are monogamous, they tend to live in family groups, which include couples and offspring from several breeding seasons. Also known as the ‘river wolf’, these huge mammals can grow up to six feet in length and compete with jaguars for their prey. KIDS CORNER AMAZING OTTER FACTS The Sea Otter The sea otter does not have a layer of blubber - instead it has the densest coat of fur of any mammal in the world, at approximately one million hairs per square inch. Their fur is also waterproof. Unfortunately, these attributes meant that sea otter fur became one of the most in-demand pelts. Approximately one million pelts were collected during the 18th century. The poaching was so systematic that by the time commercial fur trading ended in 1911 there were only 2000 sea otters left in the wild. The United States, where many live has made it illegal for anyone who is not an Alaskan native to hunt sea otters. KIDS CORNER AMAZING OTTER FACTS Threats to the Otter Twelve out of thirteen otter species are in decline. Five species of otter have experienced such drastic population declines that they are now endangered; these include the sea otter, marine otter and the giant otter. Two species—the smooth-coated otter and the Asian small- clawed otter—are ‘Vulnerable’ to extinction. Four species including the spotted-neck otter are classified as ‘Near Threatened’. Only the North American river otter has been classified as having a stable population and an IUCN status of ‘Least Concern’ KIDS CORNER AMAZING OTTER FACTS Threats to the Otter While there are various conservation projects to help boost the sea otter population, the species is still classed as ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN Red List. Oil spills have been identified as one reason preventing sea otters from thriving. Research shows that Alaskan sea otters located in the Aleutian Islands have also been disappearing due to increased predation by killer whales. A 2016 report by TRAFFIC has found that the illegal trade of otters is still a significant issue, with almost 6,000 otters being seized in Asia from 1980 to 2015. The authors of the report warn that this figure is unlikely to accurately reflect the true scale of the illegal industry. KIDS CORNER AMAZING OTTER FACTS Australian Curriculum Mapping GRADE 5 SCIENCE (ACSHE083): Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions. GRADE 5 HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (ACHASSK113): The environmental and human influences on the location and characteristics of a place and the management of spaces within them. GRADE 6 SCIENCE (ACSSU094): The growth and survival of living things are affected by the physical conditions of their environment. YEAR 7 SCIENCE (ACSSU112): Interactions between organisms, including the effects of human activities can be represented by food chains and food webs. SUSTAINABILITY (01.2): All life forms, including human life, are connected through ecosystems on which they depend for their well being and survival. KIDS CORNER AMAZING OTTER FACTS FOR MORE INFORMATION, please visit www.mygreenworld.org or email [email protected] to get in touch with us. 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