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Two weeks...!

>>2956 Time goes fast

And now it's only one week

Official program is out.

>>2875 looks like you already do

Something's going on here guys, I think we better be careful
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/19/seal-breaks-into-new-zealand-home-traumatises-cat-and-hangs-out-on-couch

>>2923
I saw this and immediately thought of this thread! Good to see I wasn't alone.

Otties are always welcome guests in my house though I'm not sure if they'll be as nicely received everywhere

>>2930
Hopefully that'll just serve to drive otters where they'd be truly appreciated

>>2512
I will confess, I don’t know this strictly about otter brains. Most of what I said was an extrapolation from knowledge about the structure of how brains work and what the different regions do. I was on track to become a neurosurgeon for some time, but I dropped out of med school before it actually happened, so I’m not overly qualified, but I have some basic understanding of the brain as an organ, and so I just applied that knowledge to an image of an otter brain that I found and information about otter senses that I found online. So, you know, don’t take my word as gospel or anything, it’s more my best guess as to why otter heads are the way that they are.

>>2516
Oh, that's still a nice theory though, and it does make sense. Maybe there's another explanation though.
You were studying to become a neurosurgeon? That's really cool, how's life been going since you dropped out? I hope you found your calling.

>>2518
I'm glad you think it's reasonable, it's the best explanation that I could come up with for why there'd be a ridge like that in that specific area. And technically, I wasn't studying to be a neurosurgeon, that's just the specialization that I was looking at before I dropped out of med school. But that's neither here nor there, I suppose. Life's been fine since then though, I'm looking at becoming a teacher of some sort, probably teaching English if I can do what I want.

Other carnivores have the same thing going on, I noticed
Dogs have it too, bears have it, raccoons have it, cats maybe to a lesser extent.

>>2901
Now I'd really like to know what's going on. Maybe this is just how the frontal/parietal bone grows in carnivores?

Here's a video of her, she was a big clapper.

RIP Betty
Hope they can find out what happened

Unfortunately, sometimes otters just pass. It happens to people too; I had a friend who died at 18 of an diagnosed heart condition with no symptoms at all, she just didn't wake up one day. I do hope it's something like that rather than foul play, it takes a special kind of mean to be mean to an otter.

>>2844
That's really sad, hope you got through that alright
When your time's up there doesn't need to be a rational cause I suppose

There don't seem to be any news... But they have a four month old sea otter pup they recently rescued, still nameless

>>2842
That's just how those cheeky otters are, they can sense when someone's after them. Animals have all kinds of senses that science can't explain, they often seemingly know things they shouldn't.

>>2842 I still hope you'll get to see them btw

>>2842
I had a thought. How about we all go to Scotland to watch otters together?
Something like this https://www.otter.org/Public/Events_OtterWatchingDays.aspx seems like a great meetup occasion to me.

>>2858
That sounds pretty cool
The tick warning has me spooked though. Forgot how tick and midge ridden Scotland is

Something for UK otter friends
https://www.mammal.org.uk/national-otter-survey/

She smashes sea shells by the sea shore.

>>32
Living a better life than most people.

Nighttime sea otter

\o/

>>28
No, when people saw weasels in the sea they just though FUR, and pretty soon sea weasels were hunted to extinction.

>>2647 I couldn't imagine a better place to sleep

>>2468 wish I could experience such comfyness

>>2690
Otters are already comfy, but then their comfiness is multiplied by the presence of other otters

>>2827
This creates a feedback loop of comfiness where each otter makes the other otter even more comfy, thus resulting in perfect otter sleeps

here's a pic of the small clawed otters at Denver Zoo demonstrating this phenomenon

>>2829 Of course otters putting their heads on each other is also a sign of affection, which is cute.

It's a thing of beauty, nature is like a puzzle, every piece fits perfectly

One of the key things that I just recently realized is how terrestrial predators only need to move in a two dimensional space, whereas an otter hunting a fish has to move in a three dimensional body. There's a whole new dimension introduced to the game. Diving takes a lot of practice and skill in itself, but then imagine also keeping track of a fast moving fish that's doing its best to get away from you. AND to top it off being fast and nimble enough to catch it, all while you're a land animal who hated the water before being taught to swim. Otters really are the kings of the water and the kings of hunting.

>>1209
Of course! Everyone knows getting muddy is a cleansing spa treatment. Otter spa is always enjoyable.

>>1213

>Otter spa

Is that a spa for otters, or a spa with otters?

>>1348
A spa of otters, by otters, for otters.

>>1349
The best kind.

>>1200
>>1202
>>1203
Glad we get to see different angles of what happens when an otter sticks his nose in a puddle of mud

I like trout, salmon and eel a lot. Crab and shrimp are also tasty.

>>1985 I think stoats and weasels and such are more aggressive chicken chokers than otters are, but I'm sure otters can do it too if they need to

Eating fish is very unhealthy for the fish.

>>2507
But fish are tasty!

>>2798
They wish they weren't, but they are.

Depends on what they're doing... I hope they don't think too much, too many thoughts are stressful.

I think otters think about having fun, eatin clams, maybe how neat their favorite rock is. I wonder if they think about how neat they are?

>>2787 Maybe they know how amazing they are, or maybe they don't? I just hope otters feel good about being otters.

>>2789
They have the piece of mind knowing they are doing the best otting they can.

Just got word they've decided on a logo, so there'll be no need for these. I'll post them anyway just because I like them.

>>2295

>>2296 Similar logo to this one >>2295 but more abstract and geometric, formed by the letters I O C. Typeface: Futura.

Official announcement and tentative program are out

>>2739 A lot of otter topics to be covered

Love you too!

Wish more otter lovers could find their way here. I've written up a little piece about Otterchat for IUCN news, but I don't know if it's good or not. What do you guys think, would you change anything?

>>2723
I think it's good to go! Hopefully it'll attract some new otternons to join this great community!

>>2724 I hope so too, I'll probably go ahead and submit it around the weekend.

>>2675
yes ;-;

>>2677
For future reference, in case you didn't know, you have to either enter the thread by hitting the reply button or by clicking the numbers of the post to enter the reply posting mode

>>2678
I know, I couldn't read the verification string so I tried to reload the page to get a new one but that didn't work and when I relaunched my browser I forgot to click back into the thread

>>2682
Sorry for the trouble :/ The captcha system is pretty basic, I just changed so it gives you a new string if you type it in wrong. Also is it easy enough to read? Because I can make it bigger if not.

>>2685
No trouble, it's definitely a me problem so no need to change anything of my accord! It's already far more visible than the ones on Anon Cafe which I regularly have to reload to get one that is legible for me. The generation of a new string after failure is a nice touch though, makes it a bit easier if you get a difficult to read captcha. Thanks Ottmin!

I feel like, with how modern life is going, conservation is always going to be a necessary thing. Unfortunately, I don't think that modern industry and existence will allow otters, or most animals for that matter, to return to their previous existences, and conservation is going to need to exist to protect otters from evil men in top hats

>>2517
Yep. Otters are still being poisoned to this day. As they once were almost driven to extinction by pesticides, now rodenticides in the water are literally causing otters to bleed to death internally.
https://archive.ph/9QsMG

The political and legislative efforts to combat pollution have evidently only succeeded in somewhat mitigating and reducing the effects, and never to address the cause. Reform can never be a solution to the suffering industrial society has imposed on the planet. It has pumped the water, ground and air full of chemicals, metals, plastics, radiation, carcinogens, genetic manipulation, and every dark and wicked concoction thought up in the depths of the laboratories that serve the vain economic interests of man. We don't even realize the full extent of the consequences this system is having yet. Plants and animals are now feeling the full force of it, but in the end it will end up in our food, our own bodies. Yes, humans have plastic in our blood now too.
The law doesn't make a difference, notice how the deadly poisoning of the earth has not stopped, it only continues in countries where regulation isn't as strict. Just look up where the most polluted rivers are today. Where regulation is stricter it finds ever new ways to manifest itself that can only be retroactively addressed when the damage is already done.
Is there any escape? Is there even any way that the next 100 years can pass by without worldwide catastrophe the extent of which we have never imagined?

Male otters have moustaches. Every time I learn something new about otters they just keep getting better.

Love the way otter fur looks

I tried something else. How's this?

>>2598
The inline style makes it look more like a banner than a logo, but it does look good.

>>2589
Yes! it looks sharper, if that makes sense. More defined.

I like this.

I made a banner with that Giant Otter video anon posted here a while ago.

>>2600
I don't know where to put the otter relative to the text, but having an outline around the speech bubble also looks quite alright in my opinion.

I'm imagining otters with fur thick enough to work as a space suit

>>2607
They can trap air under the outer layer of fur, so in theory it could work.

>>2617
It would need to be a hairy nosed otter so he can breathe the air under his nose hairs

Like a blazing torch go forth
Oh otter spotter volunteers
Go where no one else will go
See what no one else can see

The queen of rivers has returned
The page has turned and spring appeared
Her home is graced by silent tread
Her kingdom welcomes her again

Be the bearer of good news
Be the light that lights our hearts
For you no water is to deep
For you no riverbank to steep

Be as an otter
Unheard, unseen
Be as an otter
Swim up the stream
Be as an otter
Just for a day
Be as an otter
Enjoy the play
Be as an otter
Enjoy the fun
Be as an otter
Never outdone
Be as an otter
Sharp claws and teeth
Be as an otter

Comment too long. Click here to view the full text.

Mustelid, animal of such beauty
Diving, entry into the water
The fish swims away, hopelessly
Trying to preserve its life
Alas, a useless goal
Ripping and tearing
The otter hunts
Comes to land
Lies down
Eats

We're coming home
coming home
coming home to otter lands
where we once throned
we once throned
we once throned and tasted clams

We advance
we advance
we advance with every step
and build our holts
build our holts
build or holts like architects

What we gained

Comment too long. Click here to view the full text.

otters in my head, otters on my mind
otters every day and otters every night
otters at the office, otters in the car
otters in the home, otters near and far
otters when I sleep, otters when I eat
otters when I cook and otters when I clean
otters in the morning, otters before bed
otters in my attic and otters in my shed

>>2219
I imagine that it would be hard to get any breeding programs going for those otters whose noses are hairier than average without at least two in captivity. That being said, there are probably attempts to get some program of that sort started

>>2221 Not sure how recent that information is. Maybe there are more otters with a bit of hair on their nose in captivity now.

Page for genus Lutra is up.
https://otterwiki.net/wiki/Lutra
Hoping to complete these species' articles soon.

https://otterwiki.net/wiki/Japanese_Otter
Started the Japanese otter page!
What surprised me about this is that the last sighting was in 1979, but apparently they found spraint in 1999 so they're still looking for it, despite it officially being declared extinct. Sightings were also super rare before that, so we still aren't giving up.

>>2572 Still need to expand sections on distribution, habitat and behavior btw.

Otters live in loving families, they care for each other more than we do I'd even say.

If you really want to see some loving otts, just look at sea otter mothers and pups

>>2482
So true! There's no love like mother's love.

Otter mums are the best! Maybe that's why otters are so amazing, because they have such wonderful parents.

Otters' love is unconditional

Otters come, otters go...

>>2439
RIP Rocky, the world is all the lesser for his loss.

>>2440
But they are always present in our hearts

>>2440
They've got a new otter! her name is Hazel and she's one year old.

>>2448 Long live Hazel!

>>2420
Based as fuck lol

>>2419
Otter feet have to look like this. If they didn't, otters wouldn't survive so well.

>>2422
True but the point is otter feet aren't cute. With all I've done for otters over the years, I think I can at least say otter feet are ugly lol.

>>2423 maybe they're not cute but they're not ugly either. They're cool.

>>2423

>With all I've done for otters over the years, I think I can at least say otter feet are ugly lol.

That not how it works

Interesting question, depends on the mood I suppose. If a Eurasian and a Marine met on the beach, I think they would play. But only if they don't have a territory or a female to defend.

Interestingly the Marine otter is longer than the Eurasian otter, but the Eurasian is heavier. Can't be easily said who would win the play wrestling match.

>>2428
so much depends
upon

the mood of
otters

soaked with clear
water

beside each other
playing

Here's a shitty adaptation of "The Red Wheelbarrow" made to fit otters

>>2430 Very nice anon