When we see otters, we typically think of sweet creatures that we like to admire during shows at the zoo or your local aquarium, watching them do barrel rolls in the water.
Of course, we tend to forget that these are creatures who still have to eat to survive, and they have to hunt to survive just like every other creature in the wild.
And here we have a prime example.
Here we have what appears to be a family admiring a seal rolling around in the water.
However, little did the family know that an otter was lurking below the surface, waiting for one of the birds that was flying over to land on the water, so it could take home dinner for the night.
Sure enough, a clueless bird flies and lands on the surface of the water, and before it can even blink, the otter snatches it and takes it underwater with it.
Talk about a wild scene.
And props to the other bird that was only a couple of feet away from the victim, and was quickly like, “Alright, time for me to head out” as soon as its counterpart got snatched up.
The caption to the video reads:
“Although it is not common for otters to prey on birds like gulls, they are opportunistic feeders, which means they might hunt and eat a gull if other food sources are scarce or if a convenient opportunity arises (let’s say, for instance, someone is feeding them!)
Being opportunistic feeders allows otters to survive and thrive in a variety of environments and under different conditions, as they can readily exploit any available food source.
In general, otters are known to be adaptable and resourceful predators that can adjust their diet based on the availability of prey. Their primary diet consists of aquatic animals such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and amphibians.
However, when faced with a shortage of these preferred food sources or when an easy meal presents itself, otters are capable of switching to alternative prey items, including birds like gulls and other waterfowl.”
Check it out:
Yep, otters are savages…
River Otter Viciously Mauls Snapping Turtle
Add this to the list of things I didn’t know were possible.
Everyone knows otters are some of the most adorable creatures on the planet.
They splash around, swim super fast, play with beach balls at zoos, and are just plain old cute.
But did you know those same cute creatures are capable of taking out a gnarly, tough as hell snapping turtle?
Turns out, according to sciencing.com, river otters are actually the apex predator of their food web, feeding on fish like trout, salmon, carp, and suckers, as well as other water creatures like snails, crayfish, frogs, snakes, and yes, turtles.
Guess I’ve been underestimating these guys for years…
Well, what lead me to this information was a video from a few years back, where a person noticed some crunching sounds coming from thick weeds near the edge of a lake. When they saw an otter’s head pop up, they immediately knew what was going on and ran to their house, grabbed a camera, and raced back to the lake to capture this insane video.
We first see an otter seemingly minding its own and swimming around, but it quickly becomes clear that there’s something nearby that he doesn’t like.
It was a snapping turtle, and a pretty big one at that.
Now, if someone was to have paused the video and asked who I thought would win in a fight, it would have been a clear and fast answer of the snapping turtle. Do you see the neck and jaws on that monster?
But, as with most things, I would have been wrong, as the otter continually charges the turtle, flips it over, and eventually is able to get a hold of it and drag it across to shallower water. Once it has the turtle in place, it begins munching on its intestines, apparently a favorite of the animal we all thought was so cute just a few minutes ago.
Wild. Just wild…
Next time you see an otter, keep your distance.
We don’t need to see what else they can take out…
