So, a 50-pound otter would need to eat about 10-15 pounds of food per day. The two breeds have different diets, where Asian small-clawed eat shellfish and crabs while smooth-coated otters prey on fish. Asian small-clawed otters use their forepaws rather than their mouth to locate and capture food items. Sea otters eat about 20-30% of their body weight each day. The giant otter is a piscivore (an animal that eats primarily fish). Diet. Otters are accustomed to preying on live animals; hunting is an integral part of an otter’s life. However, some otter … At the Zoo, the two giant otters receive 4 pounds of fish a day (catfish, tilapia and trout). 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. Otters weigh 35-90 pounds (males weigh more than females). Incomplete webbing between the toes gives them a great deal of manual dexterity. What do otters eat? In captivity, that number increases slightly to the late teens. 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 The otters also ranged in age between three months and 19 years old. During the spring months amphibians form a large part of their diet. Despite popular belief, otters don’t feed on berries and plants. 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. As for its life expectancy, the otter can live for up to between eight and fifteen years in the wild. The transient ecotype in the eastern North Pacific hunt marine mammals including sea otters. River otters eat mostly frogs, crabs, crayfish, fish and mollusks. River otters eat a variety of aquatic wildlife, such as fish, crayfish, crabs, frogs, birds’ eggs, birds and reptiles such as turtles. In captivity, diets can vary somewhat but need to provide a lot of basic nutrients. However, in captivity, they can live for up to twice as long. Otters in captivity are often seen juggling like this. In the wild, they mostly eat fish, while sea-dwelling otters use stones to break open mollusks. For the most part, they eat fish, and, for that reason, we can call them carnivores. They have also been known to eat aquatic plants and to prey on other small mammals, such as muskrats or rabbits.They have a very high metabolism, so they need to eat frequently. 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