I am staring at a stuffed animal representing a baby otter. It is not surprising that manufacturer's would make otter babies in the form of a stuffed animal for children to bring home and cuddle with. Just as in the case of the real thing, these otter babies are absolutely adorable!

Although staring at this make believe otter is a lot of fun, the real thing is definitely more enjoyable. Here's a little information about otter babies that will add to your reading enjoyment:

The otter is a mammal that lives in water and on land in rivers and in the sea. The otter's kept in captivity were otter babies that were found or rescued after confirming that they were abandoned or more than likely, orphaned.

The sea otter babies are found strictly in coastal areas in Alaska, and along the Northern coast of California. They differ in size as well as other things like how much time they spend on land, and how far into the ocean they venture.

Male otters are generally larger than their female counterparts both in the Californian coastal otter babies and their Alaskan relatives. The adult male can measure between 4 and over 5 feet, while the largest Alaskan female will not surpass 55 inches at its biggest.

Male otter adults will weigh up to 85 lbs. (the Alaskan otter), while the female's maximum weight is approximately 72 lbs. On the California coastline however, a much trimmer and smaller otter is found, with an adult male weighing no more than 64 lbs, and the female, only 44 lbs. There is quite a bit of difference between the relatives in size and in habits.

Sexual maturity is reached at ages 5 or 6 in males, and at just about age 4 in females. After mating, implantation takes a while; therefore determining gestation periods proves somewhat difficult. The amount of time calculated for gestation of otter babies is anywhere from 4 to 9 months, with an average of 6 months. Delayed implantation can take up to 3 months time. After otter babies are born, the otter is very family oriented and the mother will stay with her young for quite some time. The mother will feed her young and therefore needs them close by for at least 6 to 8 months before it is weaned. Even after weaning, otter babies stay with their moms, and dads pop in and out as they deem fit.

An otter is very social and otter babies remain with their families for a significant period of time compared to other animals, in fact, sometimes they remain together for a lifetime. Otters will live to be 10 to 15 years and have been known to live longer (20 years or so) if raised in captivity and under special care.