Otters weigh 35-90 pounds (males weigh more than females). However, in captivity, they can live for up to twice as long. Sea otters eat about 20-30% of their body weight each day. Despite popular belief, otters don’t feed on berries and plants. However, some otter … River otters eat a variety of aquatic wildlife, such as fish, crayfish, crabs, frogs, birds’ eggs, birds and reptiles such as turtles. Small-Clawed Otters (Aonyx cinereus) DIET In the Wild High metabolic rate, rapid digestion, 40-60% time in wild spent foraging/feeding In wild eat 20% of body weight per day in meals of ~500g In wild eat wide variety of food, majoring on crustaceans and molluscs Recommended Diet 20% freshwater fish, preferably fresh not frozen For the most part, they eat fish, and, for that reason, we can call them carnivores. During the spring months amphibians form a large part of their diet. What do otters eat? Diet. The two breeds have different diets, where Asian small-clawed eat shellfish and crabs while smooth-coated otters prey on fish. Specifically they feed on mostly catfish, perch and characins but also eat small snakes, caimans and crustaceans. 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. So, a 50-pound otter would need to eat about 10-15 pounds of food per day. In the wild, they mostly eat fish, while sea-dwelling otters use stones to break open mollusks. River otters eat mostly frogs, crabs, crayfish, fish and mollusks. To sustain a captive population of Asian small-clawed otters, the nutritional needs of the species must be met. Asian small-clawed otters use their forepaws rather than their mouth to locate and capture food items. The transient ecotype in the eastern North Pacific hunt marine mammals including sea otters. As is the case with many species, Eurasian otters tend to live longer in captivity than in the wild. Sea otters have a high metabolic rate (that is, they use a high amount of energy) that is 2-3 times that of other mammals their size. At the Zoo, the two giant otters receive 4 pounds of fish a day (catfish, tilapia and trout). Otter live to around 12 years old in the wild, and longer in captivity. Incomplete webbing between the toes gives them a great deal of manual dexterity. The giant otter is a piscivore (an animal that eats primarily fish). In captivity, diets can vary somewhat but need to provide a lot of basic nutrients. In the wild the otters eat primarily crustaceans and mollusks but will also eat fish, insects, amphibians and reptiles. The otters also ranged in age between three months and 19 years old. Otters in captivity are often seen juggling like this. 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