OTTER.pptx Time waste bhai puraoll 1 to 8 will do the chemistry project in the list mentioned serially

roll 1 to 8 will do the chemistry project in the list mentioned serially

1. OTTER By sidhi Binayak pradhan And Subham Nayak

2. CHARACTERISTICS Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs. Their most striking anatomical features are the powerful  webbed feet  used to swim, and their seal-like abilities for holding breath underwater. Most have sharp claws on their feet and all except the sea otter have long, muscular tails. The 13 species range in adult size from 0.6 to 1.8 m in length and 1 to 45 kg in weight. The  Asian small-clawed otter  is the smallest otter species and the  giant otter  and  sea otter are the largest. They have very soft, insulated underfur, which is protected by an outer layer of long  guard hairs . This traps a layer of air which keeps them dry, warm, and somewhat  buoyant  under water. For most otters, fish is the staple of their diet. This is often supplemented by frogs,  crayfish  and  crabs . Some otters are experts at opening  shellfish , and others will feed on available small mammals or birds. Prey-dependence leaves otters very vulnerable to prey depletion. Sea otters are hunters of  clams ,  sea urchins  and other shelled creatures. They are notable for their ability to use stones to break open shellfish on their bellies. Otters are active hunters, chasing prey in the water or searching the beds of rivers, lakes or the seas. Most species live beside water, but river otters usually enter it only to hunt or travel, otherwise spending much of their time on land to prevent their fur becoming waterlogged. Sea otters are considerably more aquatic and live in the ocean for most of their lives.

3. LOCATIONS Otters are invariably associated with water, with a few exceptions.  Aonyx congica  (African clawless Otter) found in Central Equatorial Africa, are least adapted aquatically while  Enhydra lutris  , having completely severed their dependence on freshwater, are a totally marine species, so much so that they even give birth in water. Otters are mainly active around dawn and dusk, being, what is known as, crepuscular. Otters are found the world over, except in Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar, and other oceanic islands. India is home to 3 of the 13 species of otters found worldwide. These are - Eurasian Otter ( Lutra lutra ); Smooth-coated Otter  (Lutra perspicillata ) and Small-clawed otter ( Aonyx cinereus ). The Smooth-coated Otter is distributed throughout the country from the Himalayas southward. But the Common Otter and the Small-clawed Otter are restricted to the Himalayas, to the north of the Ganges and to southern India.

4. FAMILY Otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which is a family of carnivorous mammals that includes skunks, weasels, wolverines, and badgers. The sea otter is the largest member of the weasel family, yet the smallest marine mammal. The  Mustelidae are a diverse family of  carnivorous mammals , including  weasels ,  badgers ,  otters ,  martens , and  wolverines. Otherwise known as  mustelids , they form the largest family in the suborder  Caniformia  of the  order   Carnivora  with about 66 to 70 species in nine subfamilies. Mustelids vary greatly in size and behavior. The smaller variants of the  least weasel  can be under 20 cm (8 in) in length, while the  giant otter  of  Amazonian  South America can measure up to 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) and  sea otters can exceed 45 kg. The sea otter uses rocks to break open shellfish to eat.  Martens  are largely  arboreal , while  European badgers  dig extensive tunnel networks, called  setts . Only one mustelid has been domesticated; the  ferret.   Tayra  are also kept as pets, or as working animals for hunting or vermin control. Others have been important in the  fur trade —the  mink  is often  raised for its fur . Skunks  were formerly included as a subfamily of the mustelids, but are now regarded as a separate family (Mephitidae).  Mongooses  bear a striking resemblance to many mustelids, but belong to a distinctly different  suborder .

5. THE FLIGHT INCIDENT It took some time for Mij to get familiar with his surroundings. Mij cherished playing with water and learned to open the faucet himself. The time was passing smoothly in Basra, however, now it was time to go back to London. As British airlines did not permit animals, so, he had to book some other flight that allowed Mij on a flight, but in a box. The narrator put him in a box an hour before the flight in and left for having a meal. As he comes back, he found that box was still and Mij had created holes and destroyed the internal lining. As a result, blood was coming out of the holes. He became scared and rushed to the airport as its only ten minutes left for the flight to take off. He cleaned the box and reached the airport on time. Also, he explained the whole incident to the air hostess who suggested him to keep the container on his lap. Gavin was thankful for her kindness towards him. As soon as he opened the container, the otter leapt out and disappeared thereby developing chaos in flight. Passengers had been fearful. The air hostess had taken him again to Gavin and eventually, they reached London. 

6. Guesses about mijbil It is not, I suppose, in any way strange that the average Londoner should not recognize an otter, but the variety of guesses as to what kind of animal this might be came as a surprise to him. Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustellines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others. Maxwell faced a continuous barrage of conjectural questions that sprayed all the Mustellines but the otter; more random guesses hit on ‘a baby seal’ and ‘a squirrel.’ ‘Is that a walrus, mister?’ reduced him to giggles, and outside a dog show he heard ‘a hippo’. A beaver, a bear cub, a leopard — one, apparently, that had changed its spots — and a ‘brontosaur’; Mij was anything but an otter. But the question for which author awarded the highest score came from a laborer digging a hole in the street. Maxwell was still far from him when he laid down his tool, put his hands on his hips, and began to stare. He saw his expression of surprise and affront, as though he would have me know that he was not one upon whom to play jokes. He came abreast of him; he spat, glared, and then growled out, “Here, Mister — what is that supposed to be?”

7. SUMMARY Gavin Maxwell lived in a cottage in Camusfearna, in the West Highlands in Scotland. He was fond of keeping pets. After the death of his pet dog Jennie, he was too sad to think of a dog again. The author was in Basra city of Iraq on a visit. There, one of his friends presented him an otter. They went to Basra to collect their mail but the author’s mail had not arrived. When his mail finally arrived, he went to his room and found two Arabs there. They had brought an otter for him. The otter which looked more like a dragon, completely changed his life. He was covered with mud, which took months to shed. The author named it Mijbil. Aloof at first, he soon started taking an interest in his surroundings. He enjoyed playing with water in the bath tub. Mijbil soon started answering to his name. He would play for hours with a rubber ball. He would often lie on his back and juggle with small objects between his paws. Mijbil and the author stayed in London for a month. Mijbil played for hours with toys like ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber, fruits, etc. The author used to exercise Mijbil on a lead outside. Mijbil would often take the author towards a primary school and gallop on its outer wall, much to the amusement of the pupils and distraction of the teacher. People wondered what kind of animal he was. Some thought it was a seal, others a squirrel or walrus, a hippo, a leopard etc.