Otter facts! 🦦

Added: 2026-06-04

[00:00:00]When an otter gets bored, it will play with its favorite rock. Otters are naturally curious animals and many of them love tossing rocks around, spinning them in their paws, or carrying them while floating in the water. Some otters even keep certain rocks for long periods of time and use them over and over again. But rocks aren't only toys for them. Otters are also one of the few animals known to use tools. They use rocks to break open hard shells like clams, mussels, and crabs by smashing them repeatedly until the food inside cracks open. Some sea otters even store their favorite rocks inside loose pockets of skin under their arms so they can carry them around while swimming.

[00:00:37]And because otters spend so much time in cold rivers and oceans, they need incredibly thick fur to stay warm. In fact, sea otters have some of the densest fur in the entire animal kingdom. Instead of relying on thick layers of fat like seals, their fur traps air close to the body to help insulate them from freezing water.

[00:00:54]Otters also spend a huge part of their lives floating. Sometimes sea otters even hold hands while sleeping.