Wikipedia:Today's second feature/November 20, 2005

Today's featured picture

North American River Otters, Lontra canadensis

Otters are aquatic or marine carnivorous mammals, members of the large and diverse family Mustelidae. They have a dense layer of very soft underfur which, protected by their outer layer of long guard hairs, keeps them dry under water and traps a layer of air to keep them warm. Unlike most marine mammals (seals or whales, for example), otters do not have a layer of insulating blubber, and even the marine sea otter must come ashore regularly to wash its coat in fresh water.

Photo credit: Dmitry Azovtsev