Otter
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Otter
Mammal
Also known as: Eurasian Otter
A playful and elusive fish-hunter found in clean rivers.
💡 Fun Facts
- Has webbed feet for powerful swimming, dense waterproof fur, and can close its ears and nose underwater while hunting for fish.
Name Story
Lutra lutra
means “Otter, otter — the water-creature”
What does its name mean?
- Lutra — otterLatin — from a very old root also behind the words 'water' and 'otter'
Its name is doubled on purpose — 'otter otter' — something allowed for animals but not for plants. Even better, 'Lutra', 'otter' and 'water' all grow from one ancient word meaning 'the water-animal'.