Otters can be found in most locations on the planet and in the state of Iowa, there is only 1 species of otter you will ever find. According to Iowa DNR, there are actually only 2 continents in which you wouldn't find otters. Otters are mostly known for being pretty cute, playful, and clever animals but did you know these 6 cool things about the otters you can find in Iowa?

I know a lot of people find these little guys to be pretty cute but I'll go out on this bridge by myself...I don't really get it. They just look like really big water rats in my opinion. Either way, otters are actually pretty dang cool animals. The Iowa DNR has 6 cool facts about otters you might not know

Did You Know?

1 - Otters are really intelligent animals. They've been caught using certain objects as tools like chimps and humans do. Whether they're using rocks to crush clams or mussels, a good rock can be an otter's best friend.

2 - Otters normally give birth to a litter of one to six pups and the females rear their young without the help of the male otter. The family stays in contact until the pups reach adulthood when they will leave off on their own. At only 2 months old, the pups experience their first swimming lesson, whether they think they are ready or not.

3 - Otters are fans of slip-and-slides! Like all kids, young otters are playful creatures who build slip-and-slides with riverbanks. Otters have also been found building slip-and-slides using snow banks. The practical thought on why they do this is it can make for a quick escape from a predator, otherwise they're doing this because it's fun!

4 - Otters are carnivores. While many people might think these small creatures are eating plants and grass, they normally feed off of fish, crayfish, mussels, mice, chipmunks, moles, and even birds, if they get the chance.

5 - Otters can grow to be a lot bigger than most people would expect. They can reach up to 5 feet in length with about one-third of their body being their tale. They will use their tale as a "rudder" to help them swim and they also use their tale as a self-defense mechanism from predators

6 - A group of otters can be called many different things. Whether it be a bevy, a romp, or simply a family, you can pretty much call a group of otters whatever you'd like. One of the cutest moments you'll ever see from a pair of sea otters is they hold hands while floating on their backs while they sleep. They do this to prevent losing each other while sleeping.

Sadly, you'll probably never see any otters in Iowa performing this hand-holding act. The only species of otters you'll find in the state of Iowa are river otters. Normally, if you find an otter in Iowa, its family is pretty close by so there is no need for hand-holding. Which makes sense...you're going to have a hard time finding the sea in the state of Iowa. All of these facts are paraphrased from the Iowa DNR.

As cute as these animals may seem, it's important to remember to be careful when you come across them. While they are cute and playful creatures, groups of otters have attacked humans in the past.

This isn't very common but people have been seriously injured during these attacks as KCRG reported 3 women were injured while floating on a river in southern Montana. One of the women needed to be airlifted from the river they were floating on because of the damage to her body.

Who would've thought these little creatures could pack that much of a punch?