VINTAGE ZOO BABIES ~ WILBUR AND ORVILLE THE OTTER TWINS ~ GOOD FRIENDS IDEALS

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VINTAGE RARE ZOO BABIES ~ WILBUR AND ORVILLE THE OTTER TWINS ~ GOOD FRIENDS IDEALS BOOKS ~ ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SAN DIEGO ZOO WILD ANIMAL PARK ~ 0824980344
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Paperback
,
16 pages
Published March 1st 1982 by Ideals Publications
(first published January 1st 1982)
0824980344
(ISBN13:
9780824980344
)
Otters
are carnivorous
mammals
in the
subfamily
Lutrinae
. The 13 extant otter
species
are all
semiaquatic
,
aquatic
or
marine
, with diets based on
fish
and
invertebrates
. Lutrinae is a branch of the
Mustelidae
family
, which also includes
weasels
,
badgers
,
mink
, and
wolverines
, among other animals.
Etymology
The word
otter
derives from the
Old English
word
otor
or
oter
. This, and cognate words in other
Indo-European languages
, ultimately stem from the
Proto-Indo-European language
root
*wódr̥
, which also gave rise to the English word "water".
[4]
[5]
Terminology
An otter's den is called a holt or couch. Male otters are called dogs or boars, females are called bitches or sows, and their offspring are called pups.
[6]
The
collective nouns
for otters are bevy, family, lodge, romp (being descriptive of their often playful nature) or, when in water, raft.
[7]
[8]
The
feces
of otters are typically identified by their distinctive aroma, the smell of which has been described as ranging from freshly mown hay to putrefied fish;
[9]
these are known as
spraints
.
[10]
Life cycle
The
gestation
period in otters is about 60 to 86 days. The newborn pup is cared for by the bitch, dog and older offspring. Bitch otters reach sexual maturity at approximately two years of age and males at approximately three years. The holt is built under tree roots or a rocky cairn, more common in Scotland. It is lined with moss and grass.
After one month, the pup can leave the holt and after two months, it is able to swim. The pup lives with its family for approximately one year. Otters live up to 16 years; they are by nature playful, and frolic in the water with their pups. Its usual source of food is fish, and further downriver, eels, but it may sample frogs and birds.
Description
Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs. Their most striking anatomical features are the powerful
webbed feet
used to swim, and their seal-like abilities holding breath underwater. Most have sharp claws on their feet and all except the sea otter have long, muscular tails. The 13 species range in adult size from 0.6 to 1.8 m (2.0 to 5.9 ft) in length and 1 to 45 kg (2.2 to 99.2 lb) in weight. The
Asian small-clawed otter
is the smallest otter species and the
giant otter
and
sea otter
are the largest. They have very soft, insulated underfur, which is protected by an outer layer of long
guard hairs
. This traps a layer of air which keeps them dry, warm, and somewhat
buoyant
under water.
Several otter species live in cold waters and have high
metabolic rates
to help keep them warm.
European otters
must eat 15% of their body weight each day, and
sea otters
20 to 25%, depending on the temperature. In water as warm as 10 °C (50 °F), an otter needs to catch 100 g (3.5 oz) of fish per hour to survive. Most
species
hunt for three to five hours each day and
nursing
mothers up to eight hours each day.
Feeding
For most otters, fish is the staple of their diet. This is often supplemented by frogs,
crayfish
and
crabs
.
[11]
Some otters are experts at opening
shellfish
, and others will feed on available small mammals or birds. Prey-dependence leaves otters very vulnerable to prey depletion. Sea otters are hunters of
clams
,
sea urchins
and other shelled creatures. They are notable for their ability to use stones to break open shellfish on their stomachs. This skill must be learned by the young.
[12]
Otters are active hunters, chasing prey in the water or searching the beds of rivers, lakes or the seas. Most species live beside water, but river otters usually enter it only to hunt or travel, otherwise spending much of their time on land to prevent their fur becoming waterlogged. Sea otters are considerably more aquatic and live in the ocean for most of their lives.
Otters are playful animals and appear to engage in various behaviors for sheer enjoyment, such as making waterslides and then sliding on them into the water. They may also find and play with small stones. Different species vary in their social structure, with some being largely solitary, while others live in groups – in a few species these groups may be fairly large.
Species
See also:
List of mustelids
Lutrinae
Giant otter
(
Pteronura brasiliensis
)
North American river otter
(
Lontra canadensis
)
Marine otter
(
Lontra felina
)
Southern river otter
(
Lontra provocax
)
Neotropical river otter
(
Lontra longicaudis
)
Sea otter
(
Enhydra lutris
)
Spotted-necked otter
(
Hydrictis maculicollis
)
Eurasian otter
(
Lutra lutra
)
Hairy-nosed otter
(
Lutra sumatrana
)
Lutra euxena
†
Lutra castiglionis
†
Lutra simplicidens
†
Lutra trinacriae
†
African clawless otter
(
Aonyx capensis
)
Asian small-clawed otter
(
Aonyx cinerea
)
Congo clawless otter
(
Aonyx congicus
)
Smooth-coated otter
(
Lutrogale perspicillata
)
Cladogram, after Koepfli
et al.
2008
[1]
and Bininda-Emonds
et al.
1999
[13]
Genus
Lutra
Eurasian otter
(
Lutra lutra
)
Hairy-nosed otter
(
Lutra sumatrana
)
Lutra euxena
†
Lutra castiglionis
†
Lutra simplicidens
†
Lutra trinacriae
†
Genus
Hydrictis
Spotted-necked otter
(
Hydrictis maculicollis
)
Genus
Lutrogale
Smooth-coated otter
(
Lutrogale perspicillata
)
Lutrogale robusta
†
Genus
Lontra
North American river otter
(
Lontra canadensis
)
Southern river otter
(
Lontra provocax
)
Neotropical river otter
(
Lontra longicaudis
)
Marine otter
(
Lontra felina
)
Genus
Pteronura
Giant otter
(
Pteronura brasiliensis
)
Genus
Aonyx
African clawless otter
(
Aonyx capensis
)
Asian small-clawed otter
(
Aonyx cinereus
)
Congo clawless otter
(
Aonyx congicus
)
Genus
Enhydra
Sea otter
(
Enhydra lutris
)
Enhydra reevei
†
Genus †
Megalenhydris
Genus †
Sardolutra
Genus †
Algarolutra
Genus †
Cyrnaonyx
Genus †
Teruelictis
Genus †
Enhydriodon
Genus †
Enhydritherium
Genus †
Limnonyx
Genus †
Lutravus
Genus †
Sivaonyx
Genus †
Torolutra
Genus †
Tyrrhenolutra
Genus †
Vishnuonyx
Genus †
Siamogale
European otter
Main article:
European otter
European otter, England
The European otter (
Lutra lutra
), also called the Eurasian otter, inhabits Europe, most of Asia and parts of North Africa. In the
British Isles
, they were common as recently as the 1950s, but became rare in many areas due to the use of
chlorinated hydrocarbon
pesticides
,
habitat
loss and water pollution (they remained relatively common in parts of Scotland and Ireland). Population levels reached a low point in the 1980s, but are now recovering strongly. The UK
Biodiversity Action Plan
envisages the re-establishment of otters by 2010 in all the UK rivers and coastal areas they inhabited in 1960.
Roadkill
deaths have become one of the significant threats to the success of their re-establishment.
North American river otter
Main article:
North American river otter
North American river otters
The North American river otter (
Lontra canadensis
) became one of the major animals hunted and trapped for
fur
in North America after European contact. River otters eat a variety of fish and shellfish, as well as small land mammals and birds. They grow to one meter (3 to 4 ft) in length and weigh from five to 15 kilograms (10 to 30 lb).
In some areas, this is a protected species, and some places have otter sanctuaries that help sick and injured otters to recover.
Sea otter
Main article:
Sea otter
Sea otter in
Morro Bay
, California
Sea otters (
Enhydra lutris
) are classified as
marine mammals
and live along the Pacific coast of North America. Their historic range included shallow waters of the
Bering Strait
and
Kamchatka
, and as far south as Japan. Sea otters have about 26,000 to 165,000 hairs per square centimeters of skin,
[14]
a rich fur for which humans hunted them almost to extinction. By the time the
1911 Fur Seal Treaty
gave them protection, so few sea otters remained that the fur trade had become unprofitable. Sea otters eat shellfish and other
invertebrates
(especially
clams
,
abalone
, and
sea urchins
).
[15]
Otter populations are affected by the density of prey they hunt. Because the otter food source is easier to excavate from rocky-bottom habitats, as opposed to soft-bottom habitats, more otters tend to live in waters with rocky bottoms with access to shallow-burrowing prey.
[16]
They frequently carry a rock in a pouch under their forearm and use this to smash open
shells
, making them one of the relatively small number of animals that
use tools
. They grow to 1.0 to 1.5 m (3.3 to 4.9 ft) in length and weigh 30 kg (66 lb). Although once near extinction, they have begun to spread again, from remnant populations in California and
Alaska
.
Unlike most marine mammals (such as
seals
or whales), sea otters do not have a layer of insulating
blubber
.
[15]
As with other species of otter, they rely on a layer of air trapped in their fur, which they keep topped up by blowing into the fur from their mouths. They spend most of their time in the water, whereas other otters spend much of their time on land.
Giant otter
Main article:
Giant otter
Giant otter
The giant otter (
Pteronura brasiliensis
) inhabits South America, especially the Amazon river basin, but is becoming increasingly rare due to poaching, habitat loss, and the use of mercury and other toxins in illegal alluvial gold mining. This gregarious animal grows to a length of up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft), and is more aquatic than most other otters.
Relation with humans
Sign warning drivers in
Benbecula
in the
Outer Hebrides
to beware of otters on the road
Hunting
Otters have been hunted for their
pelts
from at least the 1700s, although it may have begun well before then. Early hunting methods included darts, arrows, nets and snares but later, traps were set on land and guns used.
There has been a long history of otter pelts being worn around the world. In China it was standard for the royalty to wear robes made from them. People that were financially high in status also wore them. The tails of otters were often made into items for men to wear. These included hats and belts. Even some types of mittens for children have been made from the fur of otters.
[17]
Otters have also been hunted using dogs, specifically the
otterhound
.
[18]
From 1958 to 1963, the 11 otter hunts in England and Wales killed 1,065 otters between them. In such hunts, the hunters notched their poles after every kill. The prized trophy that hunters would take from the otters was the
penis bone
, which would be worn as a
tie-pin
.
[19]
Traffic
(the wildlife trade monitoring network) reported that otters are at serious risk in Southeast Asia and have disappeared from parts of their former range. This decline in populations is due to hunting to supply the demand for skins.
[20]
Fishing for humans
Main article:
Otter fishing
For many generations, fishermen in southern Bangladesh have bred
smooth-coated otters
and used them to chase fish into their nets. Once a widespread practice, passed down from father to son throughout many communities in Asia, this traditional use of domesticated wild animals is still in practice in the district of
Narail
, Bangladesh.
[21]
[22]
Religion and mythology
Norse mythology
tells of the
dwarf
Ótr
habitually taking the form of an otter. The myth of "Otter's Ransom"
[23]
is the starting point of the
Volsunga saga
.
In
Irish mythology
, the character
Lí Ban
was turned from a woman into a mermaid, half human and half salmon, and given three hundred years of life to roam the oceans. Her lapdog assumed the form of an otter and shared her prolonged lifetime and her extensive wanderings.
In some Native American cultures, otters are considered
totem animals
.
[24]
The otter is held to be a clean animal belonging to
Ahura Mazda
in
Zoroastrian
belief, and taboo to kill.
[25]
In popular Korean mythology, it is told that people who see an otter (
soodal
) will attract 'rain clouds' for the rest of their lives.
[
citation needed
]
In the Buddhist Jataka tales, The Otters and The Wolf, two otters agreed to let a fox settle their dispute in dividing their caught fish but it was taken away by the cunning fox.
[26]
Japanese folklore
"Kawauso" (
獺
) from the
Gazu Hyakki Yagyō
by
Sekien Toriyama
In Japanese, otters are called "kawauso" (
獺、川獺
). In Japanese folklore, they fool humans in the same way as foxes (
kitsune
) and
tanuki
.
In the
Noto region
,
Ishikawa Prefecture
, there are stories where they shapeshift into beautiful women or children wearing checker-patterned clothing. If a human attempts to speak to one, they will answer "oraya" and then answer "araya," and if anybody asks them anything, they say cryptic things like "kawai."
[27]
[28]
There are darker stories, such as one from
Kaga Province
(now
Ishikawa Prefecture
) in which an otter that lives in the castle's moat shapeshifts into a woman, invites males, and then kills and eats them.
[29]
In the
kaidan
, essays, and legends of the
Edo period
like the "Urami Kanawa" (
裏見寒話
),
[30]
"Taihei Hyaku Monogatari" (
太平百物語
), and the "Shifu Goroku" (
四不語録
), there are tales about strange occurrences like otters that shapeshift into beautiful women and kill men.
[28]
In the town of Numatachi, Asa District,
Hiroshima Prefecture
(now
Hiroshima
), they are called "tomo no kawauso" (
伴のカワウソ
) and "ato no kawauso" (
阿戸のカワウソ
). It is said that they shapeshift into
bōzu
(a kind of monk) and appear before passers-by, and if the passer-by tries to get close and look up, its height steadily increases until it becomes a large bōzu.
[31]
In the Tsugaru region,
Aomori Prefecture
, they are said to possess humans. It is said that those possessed by otters lose their stamina as if their soul has been extracted.
[32]
They are also said to shapeshift into severed heads and get caught in fishing nets.
[32]
In the
Kashima District
and the
Hakui District
in
Ishikawa Prefecture
, they are seen as a yōkai under the name
kabuso
or
kawaso
. They perform pranks like extinguishing the fire of the paper lanterns of people who walk on roads at night, shapeshifting into a beautiful woman of 18 or 19 years of age and fooling people, or tricking people and making them try to engage in sumo against a rock or a tree stump.
[28]
It is said that they speak human words, and sometimes people are called and stopped while walking on roads.
[33]
In the Ishikawa and Kochi Prefectures, they are said to be a type of kappa, and there are stories told about how they engage in sumo with otters.
[28]
In places like the
Hokuriku region
,
Kii
, and
Shikoku
, the otters are seen as a type of kappa.
[34]
In the
Kagakushū
, a dictionary from the
Muromachi period
, an otter that grew old becomes a kappa.
[35]
In an Ainu folktale, in Urashibetsu (in
Abashiri
,
Hokkaido
), there are stories where monster otters shapeshift into humans, go into homes where there are beautiful girls, and try to kill the girl and make her its wife.
[36]
In China, like in Japan, there are stories where otters shapeshift into beautiful women in old books like
In Search of the Supernatural
and the
Zhenyizhi
(
甄異志
).
[30]