The post The Shockingly Sweet Reason Otters Get Attached to These Inanimate Objects appeared first on A-Z Animals.
If you’ve ever walked the beach and pocketed a neat-looking rock, know that you share something in common with otters. The only difference is that an otter might carry its favorite rock forever, according to this post by @humanecanada. Otters do this for several reasons, and you never know when your favorite rock might come in handy. If you were an otter, you’d use it more often than you think.
Choosing the Perfect Rock
Sea otters take their rocks very seriously. The right type of rock depends on its shape, size, and durability since they’re used first and foremost as tools. Each rock must be hard enough to crack open shellfish, which makes up a significant part of a sea otter’s diet. Most crustaceans they hunt, including crabs, clams, and mussels, have hard exterior shells that must be smashed open. Otters are extremely intelligent and have learned to work smarter, not harder, using tools to get their food.
If a rock doesn’t make a good hammer, it might make for a good anvil. Otters have been known to smash shellfish against rocks just as much as they use rocks to break open shells. Each one has a preference, no matter how they use their rocks. Surprisingly, most otter rocks are relatively large in size, some measuring almost six inches in diameter.
Special Rock Pockets For Storage
Otters have built-in pockets specifically for carrying rocks. It sounds hard to believe, but loose pockets of skin under their arms allow them to carry tools as they hunt. These skin sacks are also big enough to hold shellfish they’ve cracked open. Some otters carry more than one rock in their pocket, depending on how many they’ve taken a liking to. Some rocks might serve different purposes, showing an incredible level of intelligence among the species. Choosing rocks over any other type of tool shows how advanced otters are in their survival as a species.
You’re also more likely to find females using tools than males. Experts believe this is due to their smaller size and weaker teeth. It also helps conserve energy, which females require more of to give birth and raise their pups. As they age, pups watch their parents — specifically, mom — and learn how to forage rocks to become efficient hunters.
Rocks Can Also Be a Symbol of Affection
As if otters couldn’t get any cuter, they often play with their favorite rocks. According to BBC, otters often lay on their backs and toss their rocks around, almost like juggling. They’re highly sociable animals and play together, sometimes incorporating their rocks into simple games. Some otters enjoy showing off the rocks they’ve found, while others gift their rocks in what can be surmised as a symbol of affection.
A video went viral one year ago of an otter gifting its rock to a fisherman. While it’s unclear what the reason was, this behavior is seen throughout otter families. Since this is such a friendly and curious species, it could be that the otter was expressing excitement or pride over its rock. Whatever the reason, being gifted an otter rock would make anyone feel special.
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