The Marine Otter, Lontra felina, is a South American mammal that is rare and relatively unknown. Its scientific name translates to ”otter cat”, and in Spanish, the species is called gato marino: ”marine cat”. While the marine otter spends a majority of its time out of the water, it only lives in saltwater, coastal environments, rarely venturing to freshwater; this is different from most other otter species. By swimming low in the water, they are difficult to spot, exposing only their heads and backs. While, there is little known about the marine otters’ diets, their primary prey is believed to be crab, shrimp, mollusks, fish, and many types of crustaceans.
The Marine Otter has a body length in the range of 19.7”-31.1” (50-79 cm) and total weight of 6.6-13.2 lb (3-6 kg). Marine Otters have a shoulder height between 9.1”-14.2” (23-36 cm), body width of 5.9”-9.8” (15-25 cm), and tail length of 11.8”-14.2” (30-36 cm). The typical lifespan of the Marine Otter is between 10-23 years.
The Marine Otter, Lontra felina, is a South American mammal that is rare and relatively unknown. Its scientific name translates to ”otter cat”, and in Spanish, the species is called gato marino: ”marine cat”. While the marine otter spends a majority of its time out of the water, it only lives in saltwater, coastal environments, rarely venturing to freshwater; this is different from most other otter species. By swimming low in the water, they are difficult to spot, exposing only their heads and backs. While, there is little known about the marine otters’ diets, their primary prey is believed to be crab, shrimp, mollusks, fish, and many types of crustaceans.
The Marine Otter has a body length in the range of 19.7”-31.1” (50-79 cm) and total weight of 6.6-13.2 lb (3-6 kg). Marine Otters have a shoulder height between 9.1”-14.2” (23-36 cm), body width of 5.9”-9.8” (15-25 cm), and tail length of 11.8”-14.2” (30-36 cm). The typical lifespan of the Marine Otter is between 10-23 years.