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[[Image:Otter.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

An '''otter''' is a small water-dwelling rodent which inhabits the banks of the rivers and lakes of [[Ireland]], [[Sweden]], [[Hungary]] and the [[UK]], but not [[France]].   The creature can hold its breath for up to twenty minutes underwater.   They eat snakes (except in Ireland) and small birds, as well as [[fish]].

 

[[Image:Otter.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Otter]]

 

'''Otters''' (''Lutrinae'') are about a dozen species of medium-sized aquatic [[mustelid]] carnivorous mammals found over much of the globe. The largest species is the giant otter of [[Brazil]], which can grow to a length of six feet.

 

Typically otters feed upon fish and crustaceans such as [[crayfish]], and live in rivers. The [[sea otter]] and marine otter live in the sea, and supplement their diet with [[mollusc]]s such as [[abalone]]s. The sea otter is one of the few tool-using mammals, using stones to break the molluscan shells.

 

Sea otters were historically heavily hunted for their valuable [[fur]], and wiped out over much of their range. In Europe, the common river otter was hunted by specially bred dogs such as otterhounds and Airedale terriers, because of the damage they did to [[salmon]] and [[trout]] fisheries.

 

The northern English village of Otterburn, site of two major battles between [[England|English]] and [[Scotland|Scottish]] armies in the [[Middle Ages]], is named after the animal.

[[Category:Carnivores]]

[[Category:Carnivores]]