What is the difference between Otter and Seal? - ProProfs Discuss
Advertisement

What is the difference between Otter and Seal?

Asked by E. Reyes, Last updated: Apr 06, 2024

+ Answer
Request
Question menu
Vote up Vote down

4 Answers

W.Willow

W.Willow

W.Willow
W.Willow

Answered Nov 10, 2020

Otters and seals belong to different families, and one difference between them is how each mammal keeps itself warm. Otters have thick fur for keeping themselves warm, while the seals have a deposit of blubber under their skin. Both otters and seals maintain different characteristics. Seals are smooth, greyish-silver, or white, and they possess streamlined bodies that are very sleek looking.

They have whiskers, and they are more significant than otters. Seals are known to lie on beaches and rocky islands, and they are also often found in zoos and aquariums. Otters have small heads and noses, and they have a long body and short legs. They tend to depend more on the land, and they breed and give birth on the land. Otters mate in the sea, and they give birth in the ocean.

They sleep on their backs in the water with their babies. Seals eat fish, and otters are not too fond of fish, as they would instead feast upon invertebrates. Otters have paws, while seals have flippers. Otters have visible ears, while seals do not. The gestation period of a seal is 12 months, while an otter's gestation period is somewhere between 60-90 days.

upvote downvote
Reply 

Bart

Bart

Learning new things along with my music

Bart
Bart , Musician, BA, Lausanne

Answered Nov 03, 2020

The seals and the otters are from different families; with the seals from the Phocidae families and the otters from the Mustelidae family. One of the notable differences between them lies in the way they keep themselves warm. There is a deposit of blubber under the seals' skin, which they use in keeping themselves warm. In contrast, the otters possess dense fur, which they use in keeping themselves warm. Another difference between these two creatures is in their habitats. The seals are well known to mate, give birth, breed, and live more on land; while the otters usually do their own mating, breeding, giving birth, and living more in water -sea precisely. In addition, seals feed more on fish than the otters, while the otters love invertebrates. The otters' ears can be easily seen on the outside, while that of seals are not easily visible. Also, seals are known to have flippers, while otters have paws.
upvote downvote
Reply 

J. Harty

J. Harty

Have keen interest in writing, traveller by heart.

J. Harty
J. Harty, Writer, M.A, Chula Vista

Answered Oct 21, 2020

Otters and seals may look the same in the beginning, but if you look closely, you will notice their differences. Otters come with dense fur, which means that they will have the ability to keep themselves warm. Seals will have the ability to keep themselves warm by having blubber under their skin.

If you would look closely at them, their physical characteristics also differ. For instance, you may notice that otters will have paws. Seals will have flippers. You will also notice that the ears of otters will be visible, but seals will not have visible ears.

upvote downvote
Reply 

E.Emily

E.Emily

E.Emily
E.Emily

Answered Feb 27, 2020

The first difference between Otter and seal is the family they belong to. Otter belongs to the family mustelidae, while the seal belongs to the family Phocidae. The different ways by which they keep themselves warm is another thing to note. Otters make use of their dense fur to keep themselves warm, while there is a blubber deposit under the skin of seals.

These two creatures also have a notable difference in their physical traits. While the seals are known to spend more if their time on the land, the otters use more of their time in the sea.

The seals also give birth and do their breeding on the land, while the otters mate and give birth in the sea. Seals feed on fish more than the otters; otters prefer to feed more on invertebrates. Otters posse paws, while seals posse flippers. The flippers make the seals have the ability to swim better in water, together with their streamlined body.
upvote downvote
Reply 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Search for Google images Google Image Icon
Select a recommended image
Upload from your computer Loader
Image Preview
Search for Google images Google Image Icon
Select a recommended image
Upload from your computer Loader
Image Preview
Search for Google images Google Image Icon
Select a recommended image
Upload from your computer Loader

Email Sent
We have sent an email to your address "" with instructions to reset your password.