The Otter is a family member. He is related to the weasel. It lives in rivers and streams and sometimes on the seashore. It is found in many parts of Europe e.g. Great Britain and in North and South America, Asia and Africa. He hunts only at night and is rarely seen. This is a pity for it is a beautiful animal. It has a long body and tail with short legs. He feeds from the river, sea and land. He is a wonderful swimmer.

His coat is waterproof. The Otter has webbed toes and a long tail for a rudder. He has large lungs, which enable him to take breaths so he can stay under water for three minutes or more. It feeds on eels and frogs. Out of water an otter will hunt for rabbits, mice, voles and birds. They live along the bank of the river maybe in a rotten tree stump. Baby otters are known as whelps and are born blind. They are very playful even when fully grown. They are a protected species.