prostacyclin (ËprÉstÉËsaÉªklÉªn) n (Biochemistry) biochem any of several prostaglandins produced in the blood vessels, causing vasodilation and inhibiting platelet aggregation. prosâ¢taâ¢cyâ¢clin (ËprÉs tÉËsaÉª klÉªn) n. a prostaglandin, C20H32O5, that specifically inhibits the formation of blood clots.
This article is about the animal. For other uses, see Otter (disambiguation). Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the weasel family Mustelidae, which also includes badgers, honey badgers, martens, minks, polecats, and wolverines.
Mummified mongooses and images of the species have been discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs. Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Mongooses are primarily found in Africa, their range covering most of the continent.Some species occupy parts of southern Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. They are generally terrestrial mammals, but some are semi-aquatic, and others are at home in the treetops.ongooses live in burrows and are nondiscriminatory predators, feeding on small animals such as rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects, andworms.