Otters

Otter Temporal range: Late Miocene to present

Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Caniformia
Family:	Mustelidae
Subfamily:	Lutrinae Bonaparte, 1838
Type genus
Lutra Brünnich, 1771
Genera
Aonyx Enhydra Hydrictis Lontra Lutra Lutrogale Pteronura †Algarolutra †Cyrnaonyx †Megalenhydris †Sardolutra † Siamogale †Teruelictis

Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the weasel family Mustelidae, which also includes badgers, honey badgers, martens, minks, polecats, and wolverines.

The word otter derives from the Old English word otor or oter. This, and cognate words in other Indo-European languages, ultimately stem from the Proto-Indo-European language root *wódr̥, which also gave rise to the English word "water".