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Otters

Otter
Temporal range: Late Miocene to present
Fischotter, Lutra Lutra.JPG
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


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".


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