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Otterly Mad Week
They’re cute, they’re playful, and they’re found all over the world, including right here in Texas.
What are they? They’re otters!!
OTTERLY MAD WEEK!
Sunday, May 30 through Saturday, June 5
Join the Houston Zoo as we unite with zoos across the country to celebrate Otterly Mad Week.
Started last year by the International Otter Survival Fund, Otterly Mad Week aims to educate people around the world about otters and their importance in the environment.
There are 13 different species of otters in the world, and two of them can be found at the Houston Zoo!
Our Asian Small-Clawed Otters (Aonyx cinereus), Hope and Jenny, are likely curled up in the log that's front and center in their exhibit in Natural Encounters -- if they're not playing in the river rocks of the creek that runs beside it or chasing each other underwater.
The North American River Otters (Lontra canadensis) reside in our McGovern Children's Zoo, where you can often catch Wednesday and Ariel, our adorable pair, having a snack on the grassy shore or swimming like lightening in their pond.
During Otterly Mad Week, the Houston Zoo is showcasing both of our captivating otter species by offering our guests special opportunities to meet the otter keepers and ask questions and to hear otter-themed stories. If you’ve ever wondered how fast an otter can swim or what types of toys an otter likes, come watch an otter training or enrichment session and find out!
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
DAILY KEEPER CHAT SCHEDULE
Occurring daily during Otterly Mad Week:
10:00 a.m. Asian small-clawed otter keeper chat in Natural Encounters
10:30 a.m. Otter-themed story time in the Butterfly Pavilion
11:00 a.m. North American river otter keeper chat in the McGovern Children's Zoo
2:30 p.m. North American river otter keeper chat in the McGovern Children's Zoo
10:30 a.m. Otter-themed story time in the Butterfly Pavilion
11:00 a.m. North American river otter keeper chat in the McGovern Children's Zoo
2:30 p.m. North American river otter keeper chat in the McGovern Children's Zoo
OTTER CONSERVATION TABLE
Sunday, May 30 and Saturday, June 5 ONLY
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
On the weekend we've added even more activities! Stop by the Otter Conservation Table and put your creativity to work decorating an otter-themed craft. The Otter Conservation Table can be found near the River Otter exhibit in the Children's Zoo. You can also enter to win one of several original paintings done by one of our otters or a behind-the-scenes tour to see where our otters call home. Funds raised will go to otter conservation.
For anyone who loves otters, Otterly Mad Week is the perfect time to visit the Houston Zoo!
More about North American River Otters
More about North American River Otters
North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) can be found near freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams all across the United States and Canada, including Texas. Usually found living independently or in small family groups, they are recognizable by their long, streamlined bodies, webbed feet, and muscular tails. Their short, dark brown fur can have 50,000 hairs per square centimeter! The hairs are woven together to trap air close to the skin and keep the otter warm underwater.
North American river otters are carnivores and may eat fish, crustaceans, shellfish, small mammals, birds, eggs, frogs, and turtles. They can eat up to 20% of their body weight each day! Vocal, playful animals, North American river otters can often be seen scampering and sliding along the shoreline, as well as swimming and wrestling in the water. These otters are known as an indicator species, meaning that their presence in a waterway indicates a healthy ecosystem. Since they are sensitive to the effects of pollution, North American river otters are only found in clean, fresh water. Growing human populations and pollution have drastically reduced the size of their territories in many locations.
More about Asian Small Clawed Otters
Asian small-clawed otters are found in Southern India, southern China, southeast Asia, Indonesia, Philippines and are seen in rivers, creeks, lakes, rice fields, coastal mangroves and along seashores.
Their diet mainly consists of crabs, clams, mollusks, frogs and fish. Asian small-clawed otters capture their food with their forepaws, probing in mud and under rocks in shallow water for their prey. This is unlike most other otter species that catch prey with their mouths. They are the only mammals besides primates capable of using hands with human-like proficiency. They are very tactile and love to explore new things by touching them.
These otters live in extended family groups of 4-12 individuals. Breeding pairs are monogamous and both parents help raise young. They are very social animals and have a vocabulary of at least 12 calls for alarm, greeting and mating.
Asian small-clawed otters will nest in burrows along riverbanks or in paddy fields. When not hunting for food, they can be found lounging in the side of a riverbank or shoreline.Keeping fur in a good condition is important so otters spend a lot of time grooming. If their fur gets matted, it can damage their ability to hunt for food or stay warm. Because of their acute sensitivity to pollution and habitat loss they are a reliable measure of the world’s wetlands.
