river otter reproduction and development
In order to keep a steady population of a species you must reproduce therefore making more of that species. River Otter's reproduce sexually which means they need another of its species to help create offspring. They tend to reproduce during the winter and the spring time and usually do it under water. The male will usually search around for a female that is receptive and he will then act very playful and engage in aggressive behavior.1 Often there is a stage of frolic and play and then the male might bite the nose of the female to mark her.
The age that the otter reaches sexual maturity is 2-3 years of age for males and females. To reproduce the Otter uses sperm which helps fertilize the egg in the women's ovary. There is also a delayed implantation which makes the women's pregnancy last up to 380 days.2
After birth, the baby otter's are cared for about 8 months then they are on there own and the father can then find another mate. The river otter has 38 chromosome pairs which contributes to the genes passed on to the next generation being produced. The otter will usually give birth to about 1 offspring at a time and at max 3 at once which is not common. Males will usually live to 10-15 years while females live 15-20 years. After giving birth the mother will usually breast feed her young until they are mature at 2-3 years old. The reproductive organs for a male river otter are a prolapsed penis and the testes while a female has a uterine horn ovaries and a bladder.3
1.http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/otters/reproduction.htm
2.http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/portals/9/pdf/pub384.pdf
3.http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/pdf/Necropsy_photo_guide.pdf
The age that the otter reaches sexual maturity is 2-3 years of age for males and females. To reproduce the Otter uses sperm which helps fertilize the egg in the women's ovary. There is also a delayed implantation which makes the women's pregnancy last up to 380 days.2
After birth, the baby otter's are cared for about 8 months then they are on there own and the father can then find another mate. The river otter has 38 chromosome pairs which contributes to the genes passed on to the next generation being produced. The otter will usually give birth to about 1 offspring at a time and at max 3 at once which is not common. Males will usually live to 10-15 years while females live 15-20 years. After giving birth the mother will usually breast feed her young until they are mature at 2-3 years old. The reproductive organs for a male river otter are a prolapsed penis and the testes while a female has a uterine horn ovaries and a bladder.3
1.http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/otters/reproduction.htm
2.http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/portals/9/pdf/pub384.pdf
3.http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/pdf/Necropsy_photo_guide.pdf
Mitosis and meiosis
Mitosis is the process of creating copies of somatic cells this then results in zygote which eventually makes a full grown adult.
Meiosis is the process of creating gametes (sex cells).
Meiosis is the process of creating gametes (sex cells).