Wild Otter Wants to Play

I have a soft spot for otters. They always seem to have time for fun.  Being playful is in their DNA.

Here is a link to a You Tube video of an inquisitive young otter... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY3NJFfDB1M

Juggling Otter

Otters are fun. One of my favorite animals. When I was young, I used to tell my parents I wanted have an otter farm.  Silly, Huh? Actually, I got the idea from an article I read about a real otter farm down in Louisiana.  No, it was not about raising otters to make fur coats. The purpose was noble. They were raising them for reintroduction to areas where they had been trapped out in darker times, when otter skin coats were a fashion statement. Anyway, I thought being an otter farmer would be a really cool thing to do.  I actually acted on that impulse later in my life. That's story I'll tell in another blog.

Earlier today, I came across a video of an otter in a zoo amusing itself, juggling two rocks at the same time.  With the exception perhaps of a few particularly gifted primates, you don't often see small animals demonstrating manual dexterity. Now I know. Otters can juggle. In this case, not just one, but two rocks.  Fun.  Impressive.  A hoot to watch.

Moreover, as I was preparing this blog entry, I found out that juggling otters are not at all uncommon.  See another one below.  Type in  'juggling otter' on your search engine. You'll be surprised at how many links are there.

Here is a very amusing video link to a juggling otter... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0r6Qvz3Eoo

Ecological Otters

Sea Otters are whimsical creatures,  fun to watch under any circumstance.  Turns out they are important greenhouse warriors. 

Sea Otters live in kelp beds along pacific coast shorelines.  At one time, they were hunted to near extinction for their fur.  They are common now in kelp beds along the California coast near Monterey.  

What makes them ecological warriors? It really is about the kelp beds. Being a plant, Kelp is a greenhouse gas absorber.  Urchins are spiny shelled creatures that patrol the bottom near shore, eating whatever they can find.  Urchins are bad news for kelp.

Sea Otters eat urchins.  Their presence helps keep kelp beds healthy and active greenhouse gas absorbers.

 

 

Even if they weren't warriors doing their part in nature's grand plan for ecological balance,  Sea Otters would still be fun to watch.   It's heartening to know that they are a protected species and people don't hunt them for their fur anymore.