Otter \Ot"ter\ ([o^]t"t[~e]r), n. [OE. oter, AS. otor; akin to
D. & G. otter, Icel. otr, Dan. odder, Sw. utter, Lith. udra,
Russ, vuidra, Gr. "y`dra water serpent, hydra, Skr. udra
otter, and also to E. water. [root]137, 215. See Water, and
cf. Hydra.]
[1913 Webster]
1. (Zool.) Any carnivorous animal of the genera Lutra,
Enhydra, and related genera of the family Mustelidae.
Several species are described. They have large, flattish
heads, short ears, and webbed toes. They are aquatic, and
feed on fish. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) also eats
clams, crabs, starfish, abalone, and other marine animals;
they may come to the surface, and lying on their backs
using the stomach as a table, may be seen cracking open
the shell of its prey with a rock. The common otter of
Europe is Lutra vulgaris; the North American otter (or
American otter) is Lutra Canadensis, which inhabits
marshes, streams and rivers; other species inhabit South
America and Asia. The North American otter adult is about
three to four feet long (including the tail) and weighs
from 10 to 30 pounds; the sea otter is commonly four feet
long and 45 pounds (female) or 60 pounds (male). Their fur
is soft and valuable, and in the nineteenth century they
were hunted extensively. The sea otter was hunted to near
extinction by 1900, and is now protected. Fewer than 3,000
sea otters are believed to live along the central
California coast.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
2. (Zool.) The larva of the ghost moth. It is very injurious
to hop vines.
[1913 Webster]
Otter hound, Otter dog (Zool.), a small breed of hounds,
used in England for hunting otters; see otterhound .
Otter sheep. See Ancon sheep, under Ancon.
Otter shell (Zool.), very large bivalve mollusk
(Schizothaerus Nuttallii) found on the northwest coast
of America. It is excellent food, and is extensively used
by the Indians.
Sea otter. (Zool.) See in the Vocabulary.
[1913 Webster]
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