*River OttersBy:Emmie

*Table of Contents

*What is an Otter?

*Where do they live?

*What do they eat?

*What Are Their Predators?

*Fun Facts

*About the Author

*Glossary

*Index

* What is an Otter?

An otter is a animal that is a mammal but it lives in the water. It does not breathe in the water. It can hold it’s breath for at least four minutes. When they jump in the water they hold the flaps of their nose down so water will not get in them.

Otters are underwater acrobats. What I mean by that is that they look like and acrobat as they swim through the water. They are very graceful creatures. They use their feet to steer as they swim. They live in streams and rivers. Many of them are in North America.

*Where Do They Live?

River otters live in streams, rivers, and marshes. When the mother otter is having pups she will crawl into a underground den and rests their. They live in North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

*What Do They Eat?

River otters eat small fish including crayfish, small mammals, turtles, frogs, and other types of fish. Sometimes they eat big fish and when they do they have to hull them up to shore to eat. Otters are carnivores.

*What Are Their Predators?

The mother makes sure to protect her cubs from big fish, owls, eagles, and other birds of prey. When one of those types of animals near, the mother will tuck her cubs safely between her legs. The mother designs her own habitat and if an animal comes in it she will attack. If they live with crocodiles or alligators they are huge predators of the mother, father, and cubs.

*Describing River Otters

*Dark brown fur

*Webbed feet

*Sharp teeth

*Spend most of their time in the water

*Medium size feet

*Fun Facts

Otters can slide on their belly One slide can be 20 feet They are in a family with weasels,

badgers, and skunks They do not eat underwater When they dive the close up the ears

and nostrils so water does not get in them

*About The Author

My name is Emmie and I am in Mrs. Marchant’s 3rd grade class. I am very interested in all sorts of animals. One day my teacher told us to start to write an expository writing. We all chose an animal to write about. I chose the river otter because I have never really cared about otters. I have two brothers and two sisters. I live in Hoover, Alabama.

*Glossary

Acrobat: A gymnast

Carnivore: An animal that eats other animals for it’s food

Expository Writing: Writing with true facts

Mammal: An animal that breathes through it’s lungs

Marsh: Swampy area

Predator: What eats it

*Index

Describing Pg. 5

Habitat Pg. 2

Otter Pg. 1

Predators Pg. 4

Prey Pg. 3

National Geographic for Kids

Books I used:

Otters

River Otters

Websites I used: