Today is World Otter Day!
This day can be traced back to 2009 with the inception of Otterly Mad Week, a celebration of the otter that involved education and awareness of the animal. In 2014, it evolved into International Otter Awareness Day, and it reached its current form in 2016.
Otters are semi-aquatic mammals that can be found in every continent except for Australia and Antarctica. They are known for their webbed feet and dense fur, which helps them stay warm in and buoyant in water.
Otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which means they are related to minks, weasels, badgers, and wolverines. There are 14 known species of otters. Some are solitary, and some live in groups.
Fish are a staple of the otter's diet, but they have been known to eat frogs, crayfish, shellfish (like clams), and even birds. When it comes to shelled prey like crabs or sea urchins, otters will take a stone and crack open the shells while using their bellies as a table.
Otters are often seen as playful animals, mainly because of behaviors like playing with rocks and sliding down waterslides.
Because otters can be found all over the world, otters are part of many ancient cultures' folklores. For example, in the Zoroastrian faith, otters are considered taboo to kill because they are seen as the property of the sky god Ahura Mazda. Various Native American cultures see otters as totem animals. In Norse myth, the dwarf Otr is described as often taking the form of an otter. And in Japanese myths, otters can take the form of humans to trick them, like the fox-based kitsune.
Otters help maintain underwater forests by keeping certain other animal populations under control, mainly sea urchins. So, yes. They are important to certain ecosystems. So show some love to the otter today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!
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