Otter

a large animal of the weasel tribe. The American otter is about forty-five inches in total length, one-third of which may be allowed for the tail. The head is large and flat. The body is comparatively slender and capable of following anywhere that the head can pass. The otter is an aquatic animal nesting in burrows like those of the beaver or muskrat. It lives chiefly on fish, which its palmated feet and muscular body enable it to pursue with inconceivable swiftness. The otter is a very shy animal, yet not infrequently it establishes itself in a suitable pond near a town or farmhouse, and succeeds in concealing its presence for many years. In the wild, it is fond of sliding down a bank plump into the water, climbing up, and sliding down again, with all the zest of a schoolboy. Its fur is exceedingly valuable. The otter of Great Britain appears to be a somewhat different animal. It likewise inhabits the banks of rivers and feeds on fish. Otter hunting with dogs is a favorite sport in England. The fur of a South American otter, called nutria, is well known in the London and Leipsic markets. See Fur