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.
Otters have long, slim bodies and
relatively short limbs. 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. Males weigh up to 90 lbs (41 kilograms).The Oriental
small-clawed otter is
the smallest otter species, which grows up to 2.9 feet (90 centimeters) long
and up to 11 lbs. (5 kg) 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,
and warm.
For most otters, fish is the staple of
their diet. This is often supplemented by frogs, crayfish and crabs. Some otters are expert at opening shellfish, and others will feed on available small mammals
or birds.
Otters are found almost all over the
world and in many wet habitats, such freshwater rivers, lakes, oceans,
coastlines and marshes. 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 avoid 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. They like to slide off embankments into the water,
wrestle, chase their tails and participate in other fun games. They are also
very curious and like to investigate new things.
Otters
spend a good part of their day grooming themselves. They clean their fur by
biting it and scratching it against rocks, or rubbing it on logs or grass. They
actually have two layers of fur: a dense undercoat that traps air and a topcoat
of long, waterproof hairs.
A female otter has a gestation period of two
months for smaller species and five months for sea otters. She will give birth
to one to five offspring, through usually only two babies are born at once. Sea
otters are the only otters that give birth in water. Other otters give birth in
dens. Otter babies are called pups. They are born weighing only 4.5 ounces (128
grams) for smaller species and 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) for sea otters.Pups have sealed eyes that open at around 1 month old.
At 2 months, pups start to swim. At 1 year of age, pups leave
their mother. By 2 to 5 years old they will be ready to make their own pups.
Otter live to around 12 years old in the wild, and longer in captivity.
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.
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, habitatloss
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
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
otters (Enhydra lutris) are classified as marine
mammals and live along the Pacific coast of North America. Sea
otters have about 26,000 to 165,000 hairs per square centimeters of skin, a rich fur for which humans hunted them almost
to extinction. Sea otters eat shellfish and other invertebrates (especially clams, abalone, and sea urchins). 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). Unlike most marine
mammals (such as seals or
whales), sea otters do not have a layer of insulating blubber.
Cr:
Questions :
1. Why sea otters unlike most marine mammals?
A. Because sea otters dont have a layer of insulating blubber
B. Because sea otters can give they birth in water
C. Because sea otters have about 26.000 to 165.000 per square of skin
D. Because sea otters eat shellfish and other invertebrates
E. Because sea otters frequently carry a rock to smash a shell
2. What kind of otters
A. The North American river otters
B. The European otters
C. Sea otters
D. Giant otters
C. The Oriental Small-clawed otters
3. How long is a sea otter?
A. 0,6 m to 1,8 m
B. 1 m
C. 1,0 m to 1,5 m
D. 3 to 4 ft
E. 2,9 m
4. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A. Otters are carnivorous mammals
B. Otters are subfamily Lutrinae
C. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic or marine,
D. It traps a layer of air which keeps dry and warm
E. Otter have long, slim body, and relatively short limb
5. From the text we know that...
A. A female otter has a gestation period of three to four for normal species
B. Otters likes frog, crayfish and crabs very much
C.The European otters also called Eurasia otters
D. Sea otters have 15,000 to 165,000 hairs per square meter
E. Sea otter have a layer of insulating blubber
Komentar
Posting Komentar