Sea Otters VS River Otters! What's the Difference?

[@dfire828]

Shout out to all the great Giant River Otter dads helping out in childcare.

[@hpfan1330]

And also murdering caimens like they are nothing

[@rnp497]

River Otters are so 'look at us we're so cute. Sea Otters 'hold my clam'

[@DiamondDrizzle]

Nah, I think it would be the other way around lol, river otters can be very agressive

[@fruitylerlups530]

@@DiamondDrizzle depends on the river otter, oriental otters tend to be very acclimatized to humans.

[@ncwordman]

You are such a good teacher. I've really enjoyed leaning about otters. I didn't know anything about them before coming here. I love when someone explains what I don't know, in a way I can easily understand and connect it all. Thank you so much!

[@KPassionate]

You are so welcome! That is an amazing compliment. I appreciate the feedback and am so glad to have you here!

[@presidenttogekiss635]

I swear to God, as a Brazilian native, I did not know that Giant River Otters were even otters (we call Ariranhas). Like, here they considered incredibly agressive, child-eating predators. So we dont tend to associate them with cute sea otters.

[@petergould9174]

Thank you I was wondering if anyone was aware of that point. Sea and river otters cute and low key dangerous to humans BUT fricken Amazon river otters are highly aggressive pack killers. I have not seen a pic where you could not instantly see that they are killers.

[@johndafoe600]

Thank you for this comparison. On the B.C. Coast inland waters especially, River otters have invaded moored boats and leave feeding debris, feces and some damage. Since Sea-Otters are still extirpated here and River Otters are somewhat prolific, I have heard this damage attributed to Sea Otters, which is entirely unlikely, even if there was any in these waters. Of course one of the most concerning aspect of Sea Otter extirpation is the nearly complete loss of Kelp Forests, let's say in particular in The Salish Sea Region. One of my greatest concerns is that people in this region have blamed Sea Otters for the boat invasion and damage. Of course River Otters are the villain in this, with some help from seabirds. So besides overpopulation of Sea Otters in a few regions, they are much more useful than destructive. I'm sure that programs to understand and reintroduce Sea Otters are possible. This to both recover Kelp Forests and solve the possible overpopulation and extensive consumption of shellfish. I am old enough to have experienced the Kelp Highway, which is now lost to this Region. Highway, because early explorers used it to get here and because I have used it to aid in safe navigation. I'm sure if pacific herring could tell us, they would say, "we need this to thrive as we were meant to for the benefit of the ecosystem". So, we must differentiate River Otters from Seas Otters, and we must see to the recovery of Sea Otters in some regions. Please excuse my longwinded explanation. Sincerely John

[@shannonessig5959]

Fantastic! There was a TV miniseries about 15-20 years ago called Surface. It involved a sea monster chimera. Amusingly, it was kind of sweet as a baby, but absolutely terrifying as an adult. The production design borrowed heavily from otters, being both adorable and vicious. When you showed the images of the South American giant otter, I thought, "Oh my God... they're real." :)

[@KPassionate]

Hahaha they are terrifying for sure!

[@crazydrummer181]

I live in coastal Mississippi. I’ve been seeing a lot of river otters while fishing lately. I had always assumed they were sea otters until a few years ago I started researching them. It’s always a treat to see. Especially when they’re hunting. They much on crabs and barnacles like it’s candy!

[@kimberlyhendricks1229]

Thanks KP another great video. The giant river otters are a little scary. When they hunt as a group, it is very scary. Plus they aren't cute as the sea otters.

[@KPassionate]

I agree hahaha

[@jlpeters8576]

Let's see: River otters don't play a critical role in the future of the earth's environment. River otters may swim faster but they can't dive as deep as sea otters. They have no Katmai (a huge disadvantage).

[@neowolf09]

So we should domesticate river otters? I mean the giant ones already have a social structure like wolves.

[@fruitylerlups530]

river otters are still pretty important, even though they are not a keystone species!

[@jennifermartin7844]

I was thinking that maybe older river otters stay vocal while the sea otters stop meeping after a year (except for JoJo!)?

[@loxdraws]

I must ask, what would do you think would happen if a sea otter and river otter met? theyre so different and similar at the same time so it makes me curious about their interaction with each other

[@KPassionate]

River otter would swim circles around a sea otter lol. But if a sea otter caught it then it would be curtains!

[@akari_rose_or_kit]

3:38 that’s actually kind of cute!

[@chrisgg1968]

It looks like sea otters have a flatter nose compared to river otters, which probably improves the speed underwater for the latter. Do sea otters use their nose underwater? Maybe for stirring up sediment in search for food?

[@KPassionate]

Not very much I don’t believe. But they can close their nostrils when diving so maybe it has to do with that???

[@Helen-mh8mq]

Never realized they could grow so large.The sounds are always hysterical! 🥰

[@annabellagardner3190]

Thank you for featuring the otter species. I learnt new things about their behaviours.

[@sarahcarter-ali4096]

Interesting info always KP thank you 😍

[@otterrama9718]

This is so interesting! I love otters! I've never gotten to see a sea otter in real life, but I have seen some River otters! They are both so cute!❤

[@Oakcorn]

Very interesting. Thank you

[@lw1814]

Many Asian countries have small clawed Asian otters as pets🦦🦦

[@endangeredmarmot4518]

So with mustelids like otters having longer spines, do they still have the same number of vertebrae? Great video, btw!

[@KPassionate]

Good question! Yes nearly all vertebrates have the exact same number of vertebrae.

[@JulioKeepsMovin]

7:38 Mom: stop touching all of me Son: fine Mom: don't drift to far stupid

[@kj_wine]

Do River Otters have to do as much coat care to stay warm, or do they get to have blubber to help keep warm?

[@KPassionate]

No not nearly as much! Although it is still important, they come out of the water and sleep and rest on land so a thick coat isn’t as necessary as it is for sea otters.

[@Lionskill99]

river otters: really energetic with lots of speed and agility sea otters: just chill like that

[@reddits2177]

What about the Smooth Coated and the Small-Clawed? They have some pretty big families.

[@fruitylerlups530]

they tend to be maternal with solitary adult males, like cheetahs or tigers!

[@mmt-id3yp]

my husband always asks me to hold his hand like sea otters do, and after watching your video, I just realized that’s mom and her pup😂

[@itsjustme7498]

Okay, but why do giant river otters sound like laughing children when hunting, it's scary...

[@KPassionate]

Hahaha I dunno. Those guys are scary!!!

[@porterrca]

Thanks for your video and education.

[@neilstewart2811]

I still can't believe the giant otter can take down a crocodile

[@DiamondDrizzle]

caimans, but yes

[@saralefkowitz4139]

Very helpful to know that sea otters do not typically eat fish

[@ahha6304]

0:16 "but how do you tell one otter to an otter"

[@erikm8372]

I think the Mustelidae family so fascinating. Carnivorans in general, and the Caniformes and feliformes…very interesting. And something else cool - while there are many European, North American, African and Asian river otters, there are also the neotropical river otter, or _Lontra longicaudus_ found from Mexico to Argentina. They’re essentially just South American river otters (but not the giant Amazonian ones). Also along the coasts of Perú and Chile, there’s the marine otter or _Lontra felina_ - which is like a “brackish” river otter. It’s got the looks of a river otter, but feeds and hangs out a lot of the time along beaches, swims and hunts in the ocean near shore, in estuaries, lagoons, and places where the salinity of the water can fluctuate.

[@KPassionate]

I love Mustelids too! I have 4 ferrets at home 🥰

[@Playerestblog]

Wow This one was a really interesting video! Thanks for doing it!

[@eshelbee5429]

KP, I understood that the Northern sea otters (in WA and Alaska )were different in some ways than the southern ones found in Central CA coast …can you speak to this? Thanks, Betsy

[@KPassionate]

Yes there is a sub species called the Southern Sea Otter in California and Oregon areas. They are a bit smaller but can probably still interbreed with the Northern sea otters. So very closely related! They used to be the same population before the fur trade dwindled their numbers and area.

[@thomasplant660]

Yes the northern sea otters have denser fur

[@georgenaugles5039]

Thanks. I wanted more closeups of otter front paws aka hands. Who has and does not have opposable thumbs?

[@mirandap7859]

I've always thought the Great River Otters were kinda mean and ugly looking, but finding out they're actually a big cooperative family is so cool and sweet!

[@katherinegilks3880]

I have seen river otters hunting in the ocean (in harbour areas). Is this common?

[@KPassionate]

Yes! River otters are often seen in the ocean. Which can be confusing haha

[@crazydrummer181]

Me too! I live in coastal Mississippi and I’ve been saying them lately. They are impressive hunters and chew through crabs and barnacles like candy.

[@Vagolyk]

Torpedotter is cute, while too-good-for-land otter is crazy in mating season and does horrible things.

[@benjaminwright5283]

I know this isn't related to the video, but it is a debate I have in otters in pop media. I was happy for how otters were featured in Pocahontas and they were having the kind of behavior you would expect to see happen in otters from real life. PB and J was a cute show that had main characters as otters and they were young aged. Bear's Big Blue House had a couple of otter characters that were fun and were twins. There was an otter featured in Surf's up but unfortunately was sort of on the bad side and it would've been better if the penguin characters were otters and so it wouldn't look too similar to Happy Feet. There was an otter in the Penguins of Madagascar show named Marlene but I didn't think the show treated her fairly and if she was in a movie with nice writers than she would've been treated better. I tried hoping for Marlene to be in a Madagascar movie but I couldn't see it happen and I ran out of luck for her to be those films but it doesn't mean she has to avoid being in a movie forever and I think it will work better for her to be in a Kung Fu Panda film and since her species does occur in East Asia. Zootopia had otters featured but it was too bad one of them had to act savage and it wasn't charismatic behavior from otters but I'm glad there was a reason why Mr. Otterton acted savage. I'm glad sea otters were featured in Finding Dory but it's too bad they couldn't talk in the film and if they did, they would have had Californian accents. I was upset for how an otter was featured in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and it was being killed in the film and it would've been better if Rocket's siblings were genetically enhanced like him but all of them would be killed except for Rocket. That way it wouldn't upset anybody who would never want to see an otter get killed. So that's my debate of otters in pop media.

[@AngeVPV]

Lovely video!

[@KPassionate]

Thank you!

[@matthewb8329]

thanks as usual for the content, KP! Have there been any instances in captivity of breeding between the two species? Such as with lions and tigers?

[@KPassionate]

It is not possible to interbreed the two as far as I know

[@petergould9174]

One point of concern those large packed Amazoni otters are hyper aggressive and blood thirsty. Good cage match would be 1 grizzly vs 1pack of Amazon otter

[@a.penguinwithcastielpfp]

I've heard about marine otters, is it just another name for sea otters? Great video by the way

[@KPassionate]

Marine otters are something else entirely!

[@a.penguinwithcastielpfp]

@@KPassionate so they're one of the river otters then? I wonder what makes them ended up being called marine otters :0

[@crazydrummer181]

@@a.penguinwithcastielpfpmarine otters are specifically on the pacific coast of South America.

[@fruitylerlups530]

marine otters, also called "sea cats" are closely related to the american river otter, part of Luntra! but theyre more derived from the basal otter, being saltwater and sea based, they also occupy a similar niche to sea otters, hunting shellfish, but retain the ability to fill the niches of river otters when necessary!~

[@gffg387]

What's the difference between an otter to an other?

[@leshyaedawnfire]

What about Asian small clawed otters? My zoo is getting some of those in the future, and I'm interested in knowing more about them and how they differ from other otters.

[@vernehetzel5411]

In next hundred thousand years, sea otter will become a daulphine. This is an evolution.

[@KPassionate]

Maybe!

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Sea otters are endangered.

[@fruitylerlups530]

other difference is that Sea otters can close their ears and nostrels for diving! also what makes sea otters different from not just otters but even the very closely related pinnipeds (seals, pinnipeds are very closely related to the mustelids!) is they can give birth in water, so unlike otters and seals that have to give birth on land, sea otters can spend ALL their time at sea! Sea otters also have the worst smell, taste and hearing of any otter, but they dont really need them anyway!

[@NAT20Ashes]

Very cool!

[@teresachor1422]

水賊有二種在海及在河水溪中

[@FitzGeraldDuncan-p7i]

Anderson Frank Perez Edward Thomas Jose

[@Soap_Waffle]

i love otters

[@binkydonna]

You left out the Honey Badger.

[@KellyPan-k9i]

Nice.

[@yehoshuabinun2730]

I love the otters can I have one?

[@JoshuaAvery-gp5dm]

That giant South American river otters ain't no joke they will F*CK you up so cute my ass lol

[@noahtriumph1560]

There's two sea otters South and North sea otters.