Moving in the water most of the body is submerged, with his head and some of his back exposed. As with other otters, the sea cat likes to float on his back using his tail as a rudder. This way he can also eat while in high waves.
These otters prefer to live in areas of strong winds, heavy seas, and a lot of rock. Usually they select areas with rock outcroppings, usually having caves above the water and tunnels connecting the land and water. When out of the water the marine otter will climb on the rocky shore and sun himself. Of the freshwater otters, the South American giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, is the most highly modified for aquatic life. Its highly streamlined body is up to 7 feet long, the tail is keeled, and the feet are short, webbed, and nearly useless on land. Its mouth is set under the muzzle, like that of a shark. Dark coloration on body, while the chin, throat, and chest sometimes has creamy blotches or spots. The lips and chin are whitish or spotted white. Hunted extensively for its fur, the giant otter may be in danger of extinction over much of its range.
From South and Southeastern Asia, the Smooth Coated Otter prefers the tropical wetlands, coastal mangrove forests, large forested rivers, or wetlands near lakes for his home. His body averages 30 inches plus a 16 - 18 inch tail. The cylindrical body is usually brown with a lighter belly, short legs, and webbed feet.
Other members of the otter family include the Southern river otter or Lutra provocax from Argentina and Chile. There is also the Neotropical river otter or Lutra longicaudis. His range is Central and Southern America from Mexico to Argentina. He possesses strong claws and webbed feet. There is also the Hairy-nosed otter, lutra sumatrana from Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
There is also the spot-necked otter, hydrictis maculicollis living in Africa south of the Sahara. This fellow usually has irregular patches and spots of creamy white on throat and sometimes his groin.
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