Otter Moms Wrap Their Babies in Seaweed Blankets - The Dodo

All moms know taking care of a newborn is hard work. Just ask an otter. Otter pups are born not knowing how to swim. So their moms have to carry them around everywhere they go for six months. And like all babies, otter pups can be a handful. Baby otters eat. A lot. They can eat up to a quarter of their body weight a day. So when otter moms have to go off hunting for food or, you know, just need a little time to binge Netflix, they swaddle their pups in a seaweed blanket. The seaweed helps keep the babies safe and secure until mom comes back with dinner. Even as the babies grow up and learn to swim on their own, otter families still stick together. Literally. Otter moms will hold hands with their pup while they nap together to keep them from floating from their group. Which is called a raft. And another way otters are just like us? Nap time is very, very important. Otters spend about 11 hours out of the day sleeping or resting. Just five more minutes. Otters are also one of the only other mammals besides humans that use tools. Otters love seafood, and they use rocks to open mollusks and clams. Some otters will keep a favorite rock for their entire lives, storing it in a pocket of skin under their arms. And not for nothing, otters are amazing jugglers. Unlike most marine animals, otters don't have a layer of blubber, but they do have the thickest fur of any other mammal. It makes them naturally waterproof and buoyant. Otters can also close both of their nostrils and ears when they go underwater. And their webbed back feet make them speedy swimmers. So otters are amazing in their own special ways, but we have a lot in common too. And one thing's for sure, whether you're an otter or a human, moms just get the job done. Thanks, mom!