Otter or sea otter?
How to tell them apart
A sea otter lives entirely at sea and has a short tail. All other otters have long, muscular tails.
Quick answers
They differ on 1 of the 8 quick answers: awake when.
| Question | Otter | Sea otter |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | Yes | Yes |
| Dangerous? | No | No |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? differs | Day & night | Daytime |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? | No | No |
At a glance
| Question | Otter | Sea otter |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | Worldwide | Oceans |
| Habitat differs | Rivers & lakes, Coast, Wetland | Coast, Open ocean |
| Size | Medium | Medium |
| Length differs | 0.6–1.8 m | 1–1.5 m |
| Weight differs | 1–45 kg | 14–45 kg |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in | Fur | Fur |
| Lives | In groups | In groups |
| Lives for differs | 10–15 years | 15–20 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Otter
Semiaquatic members of the weasel family, with long slim bodies, webbed feet and very dense fur that keeps them warm and buoyant. There are 14 species, living in fresh water and at sea.
Sea otter
The heaviest member of the weasel family, and one of the few mammals that use tools: it cracks shellfish open with rocks. Unlike most marine mammals it stays warm with fur, the densest in the animal kingdom, not blubber.
Everything on the sea otter page
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.