The two breeds have different diets, where Asian small-clawed eat shellfish and crabs while smooth-coated otters prey on fish. Sea otters eat about 20-30% of their body weight each day. Asian small-clawed otters use their forepaws rather than their mouth to locate and capture food items. Diet. During the spring months amphibians form a large part of their diet. The giant otter is a piscivore (an animal that eats primarily fish). Diet. 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. Despite popular belief, otters don’t feed on berries and plants. River otters eat a variety of aquatic wildlife, such as fish, crayfish, crabs, frogs, birds’ eggs, birds and reptiles such as turtles. The transient ecotype in the eastern North Pacific hunt marine mammals including sea otters. In the wild the otters eat primarily crustaceans and mollusks but will also eat fish, insects, amphibians and reptiles. Otters in captivity are often seen juggling like this. In captivity, diets can vary somewhat but need to provide a lot of basic nutrients. At the Zoo, the two giant otters receive 4 pounds of fish a day (catfish, tilapia and trout). 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. 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. What do otters eat? However, in captivity, they can live for up to twice as long. They primarily eat marine mammals including seals, sea lions, walruses, baleen whales, other toothed whales, and occasionally sea otters. For the most part, they eat fish, and, for that reason, we can call them carnivores. River otters eat mostly frogs, crabs, crayfish, fish and mollusks. 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. Specifically they feed on mostly catfish, perch and characins but also eat small snakes, caimans and crustaceans. Otters weigh 35-90 pounds (males weigh more than females). However, some otter … In the wild, they mostly eat fish, while sea-dwelling otters use stones to break open mollusks. In captivity, that number increases slightly to the late teens. 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. 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