Giant Otter with Whiskers

Giant otters are diurnal, which means that they are active throughout the day -- except for brief periods of napping -- which provides quite a show for the visiting public at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. They cavort in their pool and dry their fur in the sand on the banks. These two brothers were born at the Philadelphia zoo, and are on loan to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

The lower photograph shows the long vibrissae (whiskers) that help the otter "feel" the slightest shift in current that signals either obstacles to avoid, or prey to catch in the murky rivers of South America where they live.

Photos by M. Brickner