The Otter Project

We study otter behaviour in the zoo: social cognition, cooperation, coordination, problem solving... and just being cute

[UK Wild Otter Trust @WildOtterTrust]

It's World Otter Day – the very best day of the year! 🦦
These wonderful animals play an important role in natural ecosystems across the world 🏞️🌊🌱 (1/3)

[SmithsonianEnv @SmithsonianEnv]

#WildlifeWednesday River otters do not make good snow plows. But we'll give them points for enthusiasm. Footage collected from our game cameras Monday night, courtesy of SERC educator & naturalist Karen McDonald.

[BBC Wildlife @WildlifeMag]

#MammalMonday #MustelidMonday
Can you identify these mustelids?
https://t.co/ntS5eTLlJI

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

Ever wondered what otters are doing with those stones? @elisa_bandini and @CTennie investigate in their new #otterscience paper

[Elisa Bandini @elisa_bandini]

🚨New paper alert with @CTennie, Margherita Bandini and Animal Behaviour & Cognition (ABC)! 🚨https://t.co/AzQXRTcD6t 1/9

[Claudio Tennie @CTennie]

This is it - I can retire: @elisa_bandini, M. Bandini and I just published an OTTER paper!

🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦🦦

Dreams do sometimes come true! Our finding: Otter stone 🤲-ling is copying-independent. @ottercognition @ReisAgainst #otter #otters #otterlove #otterlife #otterlyadorable

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

#otterscience

[Adi Barocas 🦦 @adibarocas]

1/ Scent-marking animals communicate through smelly substances. This behavior is especially common in carnivores. Scent-marking behavior usually happens in specific places, called latrines. Alaska river otters use latrines as social hubs and billboards #AnimBehav2021

[Lauren Stanton🦝🧩🐺 @Lauren_Stanton_]

Excited our new reversal learning paper dropped today! We used an automated testing device to assess cognitive flexibility in 3urban adapters: #raccoons #skunks & #coyotes! Most subjects rapidly formed & reversed learned associations but showed variation in performance & behavior

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

The latest #otterscience:

[Madison Bowden-Parry (she/her) @MadisonBP]

NEW PAPER! First first-author paper has been published today in @thePeerJ 🥳 Read the full open access article here 👉 https://t.co/Ql0nSHTFoZ First experimental study on begging and food sharing in the Mustelid family! A huge thanks to my co-authors @NeeltjeBoogert @erik_postma

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

The giant otters @Zoo_Leipzig (allegedly) consumed several animals they came across in their enclosure... #cutepredators https://t.co/TD1zT4FRbT

[Alex Saliveros, PhD @ASaliveros]

New paper!! 🚨 Please share! Our new study published today in @royalsociety open science, presents the first evidence of social learning and long-term memory 🤓 in Asian short-clawed otters 🦦🦦

The paper is open access, read it here 👉 https://t.co/YvDHHUzOmo

@UniExeCEC

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

Furry engineers: recovering #seaotter populations change estuary ecosystems. By eating crabs, clams and sea urchins, otters promote seagrass growth. In turn, the seagrass can act as a carbon sink, a barrier to erosion and a nursery for other animals. https://t.co/PDwrSiPn9a

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

Sea otter recovery is not only beneficial to the ecosystem but has net benefits for the economy too #otterscience #ottersbringinginthecash https://t.co/FH5I8XiQxu

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

Looking forward to reading this new #otterscience on why otters juggle stones: https://t.co/m3b08zlKEO

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

One of our team was lucky enough to spot a European #otter earlier today in the Water of Leith, Edinburgh.
#otterwatch

[Christian Nawroth @GoatsThatStare]

Audrey Parrish talking about otter cognition and tool use #APA2019

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

Amazing! Wish we could be there too!

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

One of the otter project team is @ngambaisland in Lake Victoria, Uganda, and has been lucky enough to see some spotted neck #otters swimming by. #otterspotting

[The Otter Project @ottercognition]

Very cool archaeological approach to identify sea otter mussel pounding sites by looking at distinctive wear patterns on anvil rocks and broken shells! #otterscience
https://t.co/p3JTP0Fa1e

[Animal Cognition @SpringerANCO]

Raccoons show behavioural flexibility and repeatedly innovate when presented with a puzzle box containing multiple solutions, and individuals with high persistence and low neophobia are the most successful problem solvers. https://t.co/1bo4sd3MGi

[Prof. Amanda Seed @AmandaMSeed]

We are advertising a chair in the area of cognition, perception and action in @st_psy! Join us! https://t.co/1HAltktzMo