Otter Getting Fluffy…

Ever had an itch and no one to scratch it? This grizzled otter looks like it is using a rock to get some satisfaction. The expression at the end…pure contentment.

However, that might just be a human interpretation; the otter might actually be drying its fur. That’s right. They frequently have favorite areas to vigorously roll around and get their fur dry. They do that to keep it insulating them properly.

Otters have the most tightly packed fur of any animal on earth. Air bubbles trapped in the fur help keep them warm. But, when they dive, many bubbles get pressed out of the fur. To keep their coats warm, the agile creatures groom themselves frequently. They go from sleek to fluffy.

Or…maybe that otter is just scratching an itch…

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This video was provided by M. Sid Kelly, a local fish biologist and author. Check out his SciFi books here as well as his factual book, Tigerfish!

If you’ve got a nature photo or video to share, send it to [email protected].

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eurekajim
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eurekajim
8 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Ha! my cat does the same thing all the time and ends up with pretty much
the same expression on his face, did it demand to be fed next? ;o)

Uti
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Uti
8 years ago

probably releases oil from the glands to help waterproof the fur.

geoffrey davis
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8 years ago

FANTASTIC!!!! MORE NATURE VIDEOS AND PHOTOS !!! WATCHING OTTERS PLAY IS REALLY FUN, THEY SURE SEEM TO ENJOY LIFE….. EAT ALOT OF SACTO. PIKE … IVE WATCHED THEM HUNT IN’ PACKS’ …..VERY ORGINIZED CHAOS . THE WATER WILL LITERALLY BOIL WITH FISH TRYING TO AVOID THEIR TIGHTENING/ NOOSE/ TRAP/NET…. ….. VIRACAEIOUS, CUTE, GRIZZLED, KILLERS… I THINK THEY MIGHT EVEN EAT TOADS……[ IVE HEARD SOME PEOPLE AROUND GARBERVILLE LIKE TO LICK TOADS] THEYLL EAT PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING THAT DOESNT GIT OUT OF THEIR WAY….. OUR DOGS GO CRAZY TO ROLL IN THEIR SCENT MARKED SPOTS….EAU DE OTTER …… THANKS……

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[…] Anyway, it’s International Otter Awareness Day and we love otters so we’ve got a video for you taken last July behind Camel Rock in Trinidad by M. Sid Kelly. (See another of his otter videos we featured before here.)  […]