Mustelidae Spotlight: Otter

I am very happy that otters fall under the family mustelidae because I have always been a fan. That said, there are so many kinds of interesting otters that I have decided to write up a generalized blog about them followed by a more detailed breakdown of the various species. Another reason I am doing this is because otters--in general--have a very unusual reputation when compared to other musties. Although, each species may not share these qualities, the general view of them are the same.

So! What is an otter? An otter is a primarily aquatic musty which can be found in almost all places in the world--save the extreme arctic environments, the majority of Africa, and the whole of Australia. They are nearly always located near some source of water. A dry otter would be very sad indeed.

Otters are exceptionally built for swimming. They have slim bodies and webbed paws. They even have a peculiar fur arrangement that keeps them dry underwater. That's right, you heard me. They actually can go underwater, and when they come up, they're dry. It has to do with an outer layer of hairs--called "guard hairs"--that traps a layer of air in them keeping the otter nice and dry as they dart around underwater. Sorry, but that is about the coolest thing I have heard all year!

Although, this may not be any surprise, otters love seafood. Their diet mainly consists of fish, shellfish, frogs, and some crabs. They are very good at hunting these creatures. They are so good in fact that some might call it unfair. Otters have very sharp claws on those webbed feet as well as some surprisingly powerful jaws. Also, the fact that they are extremely agile underwater is another major advantage.

Now, where there are differences within the various breeds of otters, there is a perception about these guys that seem to hold up. Otters are wonderfully playful creatures. With few exceptions, they spend a good portion of their time swimming with each other or just floating around on their backs enjoying the sunshine. Imagine living in a swimming pool at a water park that never closes. That's how we see otters.

It also does not help that they are just so magically adorable. Just look at that face! It's so cute! I just want them hopping around me all day long! I have seen otters in a local aquarium, and it appeared to me that they WANTED to show off for me. They kept jumping into the water and kicking off from the glass from where I was standing. They repeated this over and over and seemed to be reveling in all the attention they were getting. Cute and lovable: that's what makes an otter wonderful!

I found some interesting points of fiction. All the most interesting stuff was Asian in origin. One common story within Japanese lore is that otters can transform into women or children to trick men into approaching them. Once lured into the trap, the otters kills the man, and it seems like it is purely for the fun of doing so. Another story spoke about otters who could possess human beings in order to sap out their souls; however, the bulk of the stories all have the otter given the gift of transformation. They are dangerously mischievous--even to the point of murder--similar to the kitsune and the tanuki. Korea had a slightly different take on the otter. Apparently. if you happen to see an otter, you will attract rain clouds for the rest of your life. I am sure that's what the creature is hoping for anyways.

On the 2008 television show "Penguins of Madagascar," there was a wonderful otter character named Marlene. She was voiced by the very talented actress Nicole Sullivan, and she really did wonders for making this a lovable character. She was cute, playful, and feminine in all the right ways. She was a little ditsy, but that just added to her charm. In a lot of ways, she was pitched as the more intelligent of the cast, and this was because most everyone else were stark, raving mad. While she may have been the more intelligent of the bunch, her playful otter spirit often overrode her better judgement. More often then not, she was a bit goofy.

I am happy to say that I have already written an otter story. My unpublished story called "An Otter Failure" was about an aquarium otter who falls in love with one of the visitors. She uses a magic trinket in an attempt to help him understand her feelings, but this ends up leading to a bit of hilarious chaos. I do plan on publishing it later on.

Without a doubt, otters wrote the book on cute. I remember when their pictures began surging on the internet. It was as if people were holding up signs that said "Otters are the new cats!" We can't seem to get enough of these musties. They are almost entirely unlike their musty brothers who are widely known for their devious ways; although, if you believe those Asian tales, you may suspect them of some form of treachery. I bid you all to stay tuned, for there will be plenty of more otter blogs to come. I hope you enjoy each one of them.

Thank you for reading this blog. If you enjoyed it, you can comment below or you can email me at tooie@tooiekangaroo.com. Swish!