otter

Everyday

An otter is a playful animal with smooth brown fur, short legs, webbed feet and a long tail that lives near rivers or the sea and swims very well. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons otters are mammals adapted to water: thick waterproof fur, webbed feet, closing ears and nostrils; they eat fish, crabs and shellfish. Sea otters float on their backs, hold hands while sleeping and use stones to crack shells — an animal using tools. In nature lessons river otters came back to rivers in the UK and Ireland when the water got cleaner. Phrases: sea otter, river otter, otter cubs.

Examples

• The otter dived into the river to catch a fish. tree →
• Sea otters sleep floating on their backs. tree →
• An otter uses a stone to crack open shells. tree →
• Baby otters are called pups or cubs. tree →
• Otters have thick, waterproof fur. tree →
• We saw an otter playing in the water. tree →
• ‘Be not so downcast,’ replied the otter; ‘before noon to-morrow thou shalt behold thy wife. tree →

Note

Countable noun (otters). A group of otters in the water is called a raft. Spelling: double t. Otters are mammals, not fish — they breathe air.