Otters & Their Waters

🎓 Audience

Education: Grade(s) 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Teacher(s)/Educator(s), Parent, Adult Learners, Homeschool/Family, Learning Pod; Public Library: Library Patrons, Library Staff

• For younger learners (PK, K, 1, 2), explore our companion program: Otto the Otter, A Big Surprise

 🐾 Topics

Career & Technical Education (CTE), Economics/Business, Health & Physical Education, Industrial Technology, Professional Development, Science, STEM, Technology/Information Science

🗂️ Format

• Introduction and Prior Knowledge:  Introduction to North American River Otters, discussing their importance in aquatic ecosystems and inviting participants to share any facts or questions they may have.

• Segment 1 - Meet Our Otters: Meet the otters at Mote and learn about their behaviors, adaptations, and roles in their habitat.

• Video 1 - Otter Care and Training: A short behind-the-scenes video is shown, highlighting the care and training of otters at Mote, showcasing their daily routines and enrichment activities.

• Segment 2 - The Watershed Connection: Explore the concept of ecosystems, discussing how otters and other wildlife interact with their environment and the importance of healthy watersheds for maintaining biodiversity.

• Video 2 - Wildlife in Watersheds: A brief video compares and contrasts other animals living in watersheds, highlighting the predator-prey relationships and ecological roles they have to otters.

• Segment 3 - Questions and Answers: The program concludes with a Q&A session, allowing participants to ask questions and engage in discussions about otters, their habitats, and conservation efforts.

• Segments may vary due to weather and veterinary priorities. We will make every effort to deliver the segments as described but may use a combination of live and recorded video when necessary.

🎯 Objectives

1. Identify the physical adaptations of North American River Otters and explain how these adaptations help them thrive in their aquatic environments.

2. Discuss the importance of healthy watersheds and how river otters and other wildlife interact with their environments.

3. Analyze the care and training practices for otters at our aquarium and their impact on the otters' well-being and behavior.

4. Compare river otters with other animals living in watersheds, highlighting similarities and differences in their ecological roles.

✏️ Standards this program supports

Next Generation Science Standards

• ESS3C 3–5 –– Human impacts on Earth systems. Learners explore how pollution, habitat loss, and human activity impact otter populations, and how zoos and aquariums rescue, rehabilitate, and provide lifelong care for injured or unreleasable animals.

• ESS3C 6–8 –– Human impacts on Earth systems. Learners analyze how water pollution, land development, and climate change affect wetland ecosystems and evaluate the role of accredited aquariums in otter conservation, education, and responsible animal care.

• ESS3C 9–12 –– Human impacts on Earth systems. Learners evaluate how human-induced environmental changes threaten species like otters and examine the role of animal ambassadors, rescue efforts, and evidence-based husbandry in conservation strategies.

• LS1A 3–5 –– Structure and function. Learners observe how otters’ fur, webbed feet, sharp teeth, and strong tails help them survive as aquatic mammals in wetland environments.

• LS1B 3–5 –– Growth and development of organisms. Learners explore the development of otter pups, from birth to independence, and the importance of parental care in mammal life cycles.

• LS1B 6–8 –– Growth and development of organisms. Learners examine how internal and external cues guide the growth, learning, and survival behaviors of juvenile otters in the wild and in human care.

• LS1D 3-5 -- Information Processing. Learners examine behavior of otters, including problem-solving and cooperation, and explore how training using positive reinforcement supports animal welfare in aquariums.

• LS2A 3–5 –– Interdependent relationships in ecosystems. Learners investigate predator-prey relationships involving otters and their role in wetland food webs, including how otters help control prey populations like fish and crustaceans.

• LS2A 6–8 –– Interdependent relationships in ecosystems. Learners analyze how otters interact with biotic and abiotic factors in wetland ecosystems and how disruptions to those systems affect biodiversity.

• LS2A 9–12 –– Interdependent relationships in ecosystems. Learners assess the role of apex and mesopredators like otters in maintaining ecological balance, and how their decline signals broader ecosystem stress.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• • 14 - Life Below Water

  • 15 - Life On Land

Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS)

• SC.3.L.15.1 – Classify animals into major groups based on physical characteristics and behaviors. Application: Students learn about otters as vertebrates, their classification as mammals, and how they differ from other animals.

• SC.4.L.17.4 – Recognize ways plants and animals, including humans, can impact the environment. Application: The program discusses how otters and organisms interact with their environment and the effects of human activities on them.

• SC.5.L.15.1 – Describe how, when the environment changes, differences between individuals allow some plants and animals to survive and reproduce while others die or move to new locations. Application: Students learn about mammal adaptation and resilience in changing environments.

• SC.6.L.15.1 – Analyze how organisms are classified based on shared characteristics. Application: Students examine otters within the Linnaean classification system and their distinguishing biological traits.

• SC.7.L.17.3 – Describe limiting factors in an ecosystem and their impact on populations. Application: The program investigates factors affecting otter populations, such as water quality, habitat availability, and disease.

• Adaptations: Characteristics or traits of an organism that help it survive and thrive in its environment.

• Buoyancy: The ability of an animal to float or remain suspended in water, which is facilitated by adaptations such as air-filled chambers or specialized body structures.

• Carnivore: An animal that primarily eats other animals; otters are carnivores that feed on fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic prey.

• Claws: Curved, pointed structures at the end of an animal’s digits used for grasping, climbing, digging, or defense; otters use their claws to catch and handle prey.

• Conservation: The practice of protecting and preserving natural resources and environments to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem health.

• Den: A shelter or resting place used by animals, often for sleeping, raising young, or protection from predators and the elements.

• Ecosystem: A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment, including both biotic and abiotic factors.

• Enrichment: Activities or changes made in an animal’s environment to stimulate natural behaviors and promote physical and mental well-being.

• Environmental Enrichment Devices (EEDs): Tools or objects placed in an animal’s space to encourage natural behaviors such as foraging, exploring, problem-solving, or play.

• Exhibit: A space within a zoo or aquarium designed to replicate an animal’s natural environment and allow guests to observe and learn about the species.

• Freshwater: Water that is not salty, typically found in rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands; many otter species depend on freshwater habitats for survival.

• Glands: Specialized organs that produce and release substances such as oils, hormones, or scents; otters use scent glands for communication and territory marking.

• Habitat: The natural environment in which an animal lives, including the food, water, shelter, and space it needs to survive.

• Husbandry: The care, cultivation, and breeding of animals, often in captivity, to ensure their health and well-being.

• Mammal: A warm-blooded vertebrate animal that has hair or fur and typically gives birth to live young and feeds them with milk produced by mammary glands.

• Musk: A strong-smelling substance secreted by otters and other animals, often used for marking territory or communication.

• Mustelids: The family of mammals that includes otters, weasels, badgers, and ferrets, known for their elongated bodies and carnivorous diets.

• Nictitating Membrane: A translucent membrane that can cover an animal’s eye to protect and moisten it, often referred to as a “third eyelid.”

• Otter: A semi-aquatic mammal known for its playful behavior, excellent swimming abilities, and carnivorous diet, often found in freshwater habitats.

• Pelt: The fur or hide of an animal, which can be used to describe the texture and appearance of an otter’s coat.

• Positive Reinforcement: A training method where desirable behaviors are encouraged by providing rewards or incentives, leading to an increase in the frequency of those behaviors.

• Pup: The name for a baby otter.

• Quarantine: A period of isolation for animals new to a facility or recovering from illness, used to prevent the spread of disease to other animals.

• Raft: A group of otters resting or floating together on the water’s surface. Most commonly used for sea otters. Alternate terms include romp (on land).

• Scent Glands: Organs that produce odorous secretions used for communication, especially to mark territory or identify individuals.

• Spraints: The droppings of otters, which can provide information about their diet and territory.

• Territory: An area that an animal actively defends against others of the same species, often marked by scent or other signals.

• Training: The process of teaching animals specific behaviors using techniques like positive reinforcement to support husbandry, enrichment, and veterinary care.

• Veterinarian: A medical professional who diagnoses and treats illness and injury in animals, and works closely with keepers to ensure animal health.

• Vibrissae: Long, sensitive hairs (whiskers) on an animal’s face that help it detect objects and navigate its environment, especially in low light or murky water.

• Vocalizations: Sounds made by animals to communicate, such as whistles, chirps, growls, or squeaks; otters use vocalizations to express emotions or alert others.

• Watershed: An area of land where all the water that falls or flows within it drains into a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean.

• Webbing: A membrane of skin between the toes of some animals, like otters, that aids in swimming by increasing surface area.

• Wetland: An ecosystem where land is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally, providing critical habitat for species like otters.

Play Otter Bingo

Play virtual bingo using a computer, smartphone or tablet during your program to reinforce key concepts and vocabulary.

• Online

• On paper/PDF

📚 Books & Publications

Elementary

• Otters: River or Sea? A Compare and Contrast Book by Cathleen McConnell (Arbordale Publishing) – A nonfiction picture book that helps learners explore the differences and similarities between river otters and sea otters, encouraging observation and comparison. https://www.arbordalepublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=Otters

• Mammals: A Compare and Contrast Book by Katharine Hall (Arbordale Publishing) – Introduces young readers to the traits shared by mammals, using clear comparisons and photographs to highlight characteristics of species like otters. https://www.arbordalepublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=Mammals

• Otto the Otter: A Big Surprise by Linda Hansen; illustrated by M. Jane Meyer – A heartwarming story based on a real river otter that brings science and storytelling together to highlight otter behavior and conservation. https://www.lindahansenauthor.com/ottotheotter

🖥️ Videos

• Creature Feature | North American River Otters

• River otter birthday celebration at Mote Marine Lab

• River otters at Mote Aquarium play with ice treats!