[Illustration: OTTER FISHING FOR HIS DINNER.]
The Otters prefer to live in or near the water, and they are formed to
find great enjoyment in this life. Their webbed feet, their slender
shape and flattened head make them very active in darting through the
water for their prey. They are usually found along the edges of lakes,
rivers and streams, where they either dig out a burrow communicating
with the water, or make their home in some natural crevice near the bank
of the stream. They feed principally upon fish, and they cause a great
deal of trouble in the waters near their home, as they are not satisfied
with killing simply to satisfy their hunger, but often hunt and kill the
Fish, etc., simply for the sake of killing.
Unlike the most of the Weasel family, the Otters will eat vegetables,
although they prefer an animal diet. The skin of the Otter has always
been a fur of great value, for it is soft, close and durable. The coat
of this animal, like that of the Beaver and almost all of the aquatic
Mammals, is composed of two layers—the one next to the skin formed of
short, fine, downy hair; the other, which grows through it, is more
glossy, longer and coarser.
Otters are found in all parts of the world, but they are most plentiful
in Europe and America. The Common Otter measures about two feet and a
quarter from the tip of the nose to the tail—which is from twelve to
fifteen inches in length. The usual color of the fur is brown, shading
to darker tints.
In Kamschatka and on the coasts of the North Pacific Ocean, there exists
a species of Otter, which differs from all other species in the softness
and brilliancy of its fur, and its living almost entirely in the water.
It measures more than a yard in length and is very mild in disposition.
The skins of the Sea Otters are very high in price, and are increasing
in value, as these animals are becoming very scarce.