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| DID YOU KNOW?....... |
| Otters are mustelids - the same family as weasels, badgers and skunks! |
| Protection of native otters since the 1980's has enabled them to bounce back from drastic population declines in many parts of the UK. |
| The South-West is a stronghold area for native otters,
but even here, many otters are killed each year on our roads. |
| The Asian Short-Clawed Otter is the smallest otter species - only about the size of a domestic cat. The largest otter is the giant South American otter, which may be up to 10 times heavier! |
| Although Asian Short-Clawed Otters are not the best swimmers amongst otters, they are still good enough to be used by Asian fisherman to help catch fish! |
| Asian Short-Clawed Otters are extremely social and vocal, living in large family groups and communicating with 12 or more call types. |
| Asian Short-Clawed Otters eat a lot of different foods in the wild, including crabs, snails, crayfish, clams, frogs and small fish. |
| Although many otter species can be found in coastal habitats, only the Pacific Sea Otter Enhydra lutris is a true marine mammal, 365 days a year! |
| Wild otters are threatened by many human activities, especially those that destroy habitat and pollute the environment. |