Young otters will often follow their mother about on land or while swimming in single file. During the spring months amphibians form a large part of their diet. There are a variety of meat products upon which to base the diet. What do otters eat? Husbandry, or the care and management of otters in captivity, has improved gradually over the last two decades. They have also been known to eat aquatic plants and to prey on other small mammals, such as muskrats or rabbits.They have a very high metabolism, so they need to eat frequently. Otters catch with their whiskers. Incomplete webbing between the toes gives them a great deal of manual dexterity. In the wild the otters eat primarily crustaceans and mollusks but will also eat fish, insects, amphibians and reptiles. (River otters eat a less-impressive, but still-respectable 15-20% of their body weight.) Otters will mainly feed on fish (40-90% of their diet)and will take a variety of species depending on the time of year, species such as carp, stickleback and eels. To sustain a captive population of Asian small-clawed otters, the nutritional needs of the species must be met. Snapping turtles, coyotes, bobcats, and foxes may occasionally prey upon young otters, and rarely, adults. frozen diets) have been used to maintain ASC otters in captivity (Baer, et al 1994). River otters eat mostly frogs, crabs, crayfish, fish and mollusks. 5. As is the case with many species, Eurasian otters tend to live longer in captivity than in the wild. Those gorgeous whiskers aren’t just for show, although they do look quite stylish. Predators: The river otter has few natural predators because of its strength, sharp teeth, aggressiveness when attacked, and aquatic habits. The territory used by an otter can be 50 miles of shoreline. Otters tend to eat up small fish in entirety from head to tail. Otters recline to eat. River otters eat a variety of aquatic wildlife, such as fish, crayfish, crabs, frogs, birds’ eggs, birds and reptiles such as turtles. This species is a member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of the weasel family (Mustelidae), and is the smallest otter species in the world. The Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus), also known as the oriental small-clawed otter or simply small-clawed otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to South and Southeast Asia. Meat based diets have been used in most institutions for growth, maintenance, and breeding of ASC otters. River otters and giant otters hunt by using their whiskers to detect movements of prey in murky water. River otters may live 20 years in captivity; few survive more than 10 years in the wild. Asian small-clawed otters use their forepaws rather than their mouth to locate and capture food items. The undigestible scales and bones harmlessly pass through their digestive system and are deposited as scat. 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