Otter Otter 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. The word "otter" derives from the Old English word "otor" or "oter". This, and cognate words in other Indo-European languages, ultimately stem from the Proto-Indo-European language root *wódr̥, which also gave rise to the English word "water". An otter's den is called a holt or couch. Male otters are called dogs or boars,
Tarka the Otter (film) Tarka the Otter (film) Tarka the Otter is a 1979 film directed by David Cobham. It is based on the novel of the same name by Henry Williamson. "Tarka the Otter" was voted 98th in Channel 4’s poll of the "100 Greatest Family Films". The role of Tarka was played by an otter called Spade. The principal animal handler for the film, Peter Talbot, published an e-book called "Tarka and me" with the sub-title "a ripple of ancient sunlight". The sub-title alludes to Williamson's view of nature being uniquely connected by this story to that of Gavin Maxwell. Talbot trained