Otters are the only truly amphibious members of the weasel family.
They largely forage in water, but are equally at home on land, except for the Sea otter, which rarely comes ashore in California. Otters' tightly packed underfur and long guard hairs are water-repellent, and the body is elongated, sinuous and lithe, built for vigorous swimmng. The limbs are short and the paws are webbed in most species. The forefeet are shorter than the hindfeet. The tail is fully haired, thick at the base and tapering to a point, flattened on the underside and in some species on the upper surface.