What are 3 facts about sea otters?
What are 3 facts about sea otters?
- Forget everything you thought you knew about otter species.
- Otters have some interesting relatives.
- Most sea otters call Alaska home.
- U.S. and international law protects threatened sea otters.
- Sea otters eat 25 percent of their body weight in food every day.
Can otters survive out of water?
They can survive on land, however, water is necessary for their existence. Some otter species will come on land to travel, eat, or groom their fur. Yet, otters to a large degree depend on the water, so living on land only is not possible.
Do people still eat otters?
The young otters are hunted by sharks, predatory seabirds and animals. Also the enemy is a man. The body is dense, cylindrical, oblong, and the paws are short and strong. The otters have thick, hard fur of a brownish color, a light belly and a muzzle. Unlike other otters, having a soft undercoat, sea otters possess fur with thick hard hair.
Why do sea otters carry rocks?
Sea otters use rocks to crack open clams, crabs and other shellfish on their tummies. Many otters have a favorite rock that they store in one of their underarm pockets, carrying it with them wherever they go.
Do sea otters come onto land?
Unlike some marine mammals like whales that would die if they were on land for too long, sea otters can go up onto land to rest, groom, or nurse. However, they do spend most if not all of their lives in the water—Sea otters even give birth in the water.
Do sea otters ever go ashore?
This aquatic member of the weasel family is found along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The sea otter spends most of its time in the water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest.
Do sea otters come out of the water?
Sea otters are commonly spotted on WWF's Alaska tours. For one of the smallest marine mammals on Earth (yet the largest member of the weasel family), the sea otter has racked up quite a few superlatives: 10. The sea otter can live its entire life without leaving the water.
What are 3 interesting facts about sea otters?
Sea otter fur is the densest of any mammal at about 1 million hairs per square inch (We have 100,000 hairs on our entire head). Wild sea otters typically have a lifespan between 15 and 20 years. Average weight of an adult female California sea otter is about 50 lbs. Males can weigh up to 70 lbs.
What's the difference between river otters and sea otters?
Physical Characteristics. River otters are typically about one-quarter the size of sea otters, and they have tails that are longer and more rounded. While sea otters have rear flippers that are much larger than their front feet, a river otter's limbs are of roughly equal size.
Where are sea otters declining?
While sea otter populations increased after legal protections were put in place, there have been recent declines in sea otters in the Aleutian Islands (thought to be from orca predation) and a decline or plateau in the populations in California.
What is a sea otter?
our editorial process. Jennifer Kennedy. Updated June 26, 2019. Sea otters ( Enhydra lutris) are an easily recognized and beloved marine mammal. They have furry bodies, whiskered faces, and a propensity to lay on their backs and float on the water, a behavior that humans perceive as evidence of fun-loving.
Why are sea otters important?
Sea otters are a keystone species and play a critical role in the food web of the kelp forest, so much so that even terrestrial species are influenced by sea otter activity. When sea otter populations are healthy, urchin populations are kept in check, and kelp is abundant. Kelp provides shelter for sea otters and their pups and a variety of other marine organisms. If there is a decline in sea otters due to natural predation or other factors such as an oil spill, urchin populations explode. As a result, kelp abundance decreases and other marine species have less habitat.
How many otters are in a group?
Sea otters are social, and hang out together in groups called rafts. Sea otter rafts are segregated: Groups of between two and 1,000 ott ers are either all males or females and their young. Only adult males establish territories, which they patrol during mating season to keep out other adult males.
Why are sea otters affected by oil spills?
Because they are dependent on their fur for warmth, sea otters are heavily affected by oil spills. When oil coats a sea otter's fur, air can't get through and the sea otter can't clean it out.
How deep do sea otters dive?
To hunt prey, sea otters have been known to dive as deep as 320 feet ; however, males mostly forage at depths of around 260 feet and females about 180 feet.
How much of a sea otter's day is spent grooming its fur?
Fully 10 percent of a sea otter's day is spent grooming its fur. However, fur is an inflexible insulation, so, when necessary, sea otters cool off by flapping their nearly-hairless rear flippers.
Where do sea otter live?
For other uses, see Sea otter (disambiguation). The sea otter ( Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean.
How long ago did sea otter come into the ocean?
In comparison to cetaceans, sirenians, and pinnipeds, which entered the water approximately 50, 40, and 20 million years ago, respectively, the sea otter is a relative newcomer to a marine existence.
How much does a sea otter weigh?
Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg (31 and 99 lb), making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals.
What do sea otters eat?
In most of its range, the sea otter's diet consists almost exclusively of marine benthic invertebrates, including sea urchins, fat innkeeper worms, a variety of bivalves such as clams and mussels, abalone, other mollusks, crustaceans, and snails. Its prey ranges in size from tiny limpets and crabs to giant octopuses. Where prey such as sea urchins, clams, and abalone are present in a range of sizes, sea otters tend to select larger items over smaller ones of similar type. In California, they have been noted to ignore Pismo clams smaller than 3 inches (7 cm) across.
Where did the last sea otter live in Oregon?
The last native sea otter in Oregon was probably shot and killed in 1906. In 1970 and 1971, a total of 95 sea otters were transplanted from Amchitka Island, Alaska to the Southern Oregon coast. However, this translocation effort failed and otters soon again disappeared from the state. In 2004, a male sea otter took up residence at Simpson Reef off of Cape Arago for six months. This male is thought to have originated from a colony in Washington, but disappeared after a coastal storm. On 18 February 2009, a male sea otter was spotted in Depoe Bay off the Oregon Coast. It could have traveled to the state from either California or Washington. Two sea otters were observed about one mile north of the Winchuck River off the Southern Oregon coast on July 13, 2020.
How big is a sea otter?
The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammal species, but it is the heaviest mustelid. Male sea otters usually weigh 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb) and are 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 11 in to 4 ft 11 in) in length, though specimens up to 54 kg (119 lb) have been recorded.
What is the heaviest otter?
The sea otter is the heaviest (the giant otter is longer, but significantly slimmer) member of the family Mustelidae, a diverse group that includes the 13 otter species and terrestrial animals such as weasels, badgers, and minks.
How far away should you keep an otter from a sea otter?
Otters have strong teeth and a powerful bite. So whether you see an otter on land or at sea, be sure to maintain a safe distance of at least 50 yards and never feed sea otters. Learn more about staying safe around sea otters.
What is the importance of sea otters?
Held every year during the last week in September, Sea Otter Awareness Week spotlights the important role of sea otters in nearshore ecosystems of the North Pacific Ocean.
How many hair follicles does an otter have?
Their fur contains between 600,000 to 1,000,000 hair follicles per square inch. Unlike most other marine mammals, otters lack a blubber layer. Instead they depend on their dense, water-resistant fur to provide insulation. To keep warm, sea otters spend a large portion of their days grooming and conditioning their fur.
What is a group of otters called?
A group of resting otters is called a raft. Otters love to rest in groups. Researchers have seen concentrations of over 1,000 otters floating together. To keep from drifting away from each other, sea otters will wrap themselves up in seaweed, forming something that resembles a raft. A raft of otters resting in a group.
Why do otters stay together?
A group of otters stay together for mutual protection from predators in the waters around Glaci er Bay National Park in Alaska. Photo by Becky King, National Park Service. 4. U.S. and international law protects threatened sea otters.
How long can an otter hold its breath?
Sea otters have been known to stay submerged for more than 5 minutes at a time. River otters, however, can hold their breath for up to 8 minutes.
What is the family of sea otter?
Otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which is a family of carnivorous mammals that includes skunks, weasels, wolverines and badgers. The sea otter is the largest member of the weasel family, yet the smallest marine mammal in North America.
Where are sea otters hunted?
Following an international ban on hunting, their numbers rebounded significantly in the 20th century, particularly in Bering Sea and Alaskan waters, their main stomping ground.
What do sea otter hammers against?
The sea otter also hammers rocks against strongly gripping abalone shells to pry them off of rocks and feed on their tasty insides. 7.
What is the only marine mammal capable of flipping over boulders on the sea floor?
Another underwater superlative: The sea otter is the only marine mammal capable of flipping over boulders on the sea floor—in this case to search out food. And the only marine mammal to catch fish with its forepaws and not its mouth. 6.
How many hairs does an otter have?
Its fur is the densest of any animal on Earth—an estimated 1 million hairs per square inch. That’s because, unlike its fellow marine mammals, it has no blubber to keep it warm. 8. The sea otter is one of the few mammal species on Earth to use a tool to help it hunt and feed.
Why do sea otters groom themselves?
If a sea otter’s fur becomes dirty, it has trouble absorbing the air needed to keep it warm. Therefore, sea otters are obsessive about keeping their fur clean, and groom themselves practically non-stop when they’re not eating or sleeping.
What does a sea otter look like?
From a distance, the line of black bobbing forms in the waters just off the coast of Alaska look like flotsam, or driftwood entangled in kelp. But upon closer inspection, the almost comically adorable faces of a raft of playful sea otters pop up from behind cresting waves, their hind feet pointing toward the sky.
Why do sea otters sleep with their paws?
2. To keep from drifting apart while they snooze, sea otters often sleep holding paws. 1. Like polar bears in the Arctic, sea otters are considered keystone species in their ecosystems, because they affect great influence on their environments.
Where are river otters found?
and Canada. Three other species: southern river otters, neotropical river otters, and marine otters are found in Central and South America and Mexico. North American river otters are classified as least concern by IUCN, while southern and marine river otters are endangered ...
What are some interesting facts about river otters?
From amazing diving skills to bone-crushing teeth, discover the most interesting facts about North American river otters. 1. River Otters Are Not Sea Otters. North American river otters are not to be mistaken for sea otters, which live exclusively in the ocean. River otters, which weigh 20 to 25 pounds on average, are much smaller than sea otters, ...
How long can a river otter swim?
River otters are amazing swimmers. They can stay underwater for almost eight minutes and swim at a rate of nearly seven miles per hour. 2 3 In a single dive, a river otter can travel as deep as 60 feet.
How many pups do river otters have?
River otters line their dens with leaves, moss, and grass. Females maintain the den and give birth to an average of two to three pups every year. Young pups are born helpless, and remain in the den until they are weaned at about three months. 6. River Otters Are Both Predator and Prey.
What are the predators that otters are afraid of?
On land, however, they must be wary of predators such as bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, wolves, black bears, and alligators. Even domestic dogs pose a threat to the river otter on land. River otters use their long vibrissae, or whiskers, to locate prey in murky water.
How fast can a river otter run?
Though brilliant swimmers, river otters are as comfortable on land as they are in the water. River otters can walk and run easily on land, traveling as fast as 15 miles per hour. 2 They are even agile maneuvering through vegetation, and are known to slide on slippery surfaces, like ice and mud, as a speedy way of getting from one place to another.
How much do river otters weigh?
River otters, which weigh 20 to 25 pounds on average, are much smaller than sea otters, which weigh between 50 and 100 pounds. River otters spend part of their time on land and live in dens, while sea otters rarely come on shore.
Where do otters live?
Whether it’s a lake, river, swamp or estuary, otters like a mix of land and water. They can be found throughout North America and our National Forests.
How do otters get around?
In the winter, otters have found the easiest and perhaps most fun way to get around is by sliding. After a few bumps, they can slide up to 22 feet on the ice. In warmer times, you may also see otters sliding down a riverbank.
Why do otters need fur?
Due to the frequency otters are in and out of water, their fur needs to withstand wet and dry. Water repellent fur helps keeps them warm and dry. Photo by James Newt.
Description
Habitat and Distribution
- Unlike some marine mammalslike whales that would die if they were on land for too long, sea otters can go up onto land to rest, groom, or nurse. However, they do spend most if not all of their lives in the water—Sea otters even give birth in the water. Although there is just one species of sea otter, there are three subspecies: 1. The Russian north...
Diet
- Sea otters eat fish and marine invertebrates like crabs, urchins, sea stars, and abalone, as well as squid and octopuses. Some of these animals have hard shells, which protect them from predators. But that isn't an issue for the talented sea otter, which cracks open the shells by banging them with rocks. To hunt prey, sea otters have been known to dive as deep as 320 feet; …
Behavior
- Sea otters are social, and hang out together in groups called rafts. Sea otter rafts are segregated: Groups of between two and 1,000 otters are either all males or females and their young. Only adult males establish territories, which they patrol during mating season to keep out other adult males. Females rove freely between and among male territories.
Reproduction and Offspring
- Sea otters reproduce sexually and that only occurs when the females are in estrus. Mating is polygynous—one male breeds with all the females in its breeding territory. The gestation period lasts for six months, and females nearly always give birth to a single live pup, although twinning does occur. Young sea otters have a form of extremely woolly fur that makes an otter pup so bu…
Keystone Species
- Sea otters are a keystone species and play a critical role in the food web of the kelp forest, so much so that even terrestrial species are influenced by sea otter activity. When sea otter populations are healthy, urchin populations are kept in check, and kelp is abundant. Kelp provides shelter for sea ottersand their pups and a variety of other marine organisms. If there is a decline …
Threats
- Because they are dependent on their fur for warmth, sea otters are heavily affected by oil spills. When oil coats a sea otter's fur, air can't get through and the sea otter can't clean it out. The infamous Exxon Valdez spill killed at least several hundred sea otters and affected the sea otter population in Prince William Sound for well over a decade, according to the Exxon ValdezOil Spil…
Conservation Status
- Sea otters first became protected from the fur trade by the International Fur Seal Treaty in 1911, after the population had decreased to about 2,000 as a result of unrestrained hunting for furs. Since then, sea otter populations have rebounded, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as a whole as Endangered. The ECOS Environmental Conservatio…
Sources
- Anthony, Robert G., et al. "Bald Eagles and Sea Otters in the Aleutian Archipelago: Indirect Effects of Trophic Cascades." Ecology 89.10 (2008): 2725–35. Print
- Doroff, A. and A. Burdin. "Enhydra lutris." The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T7750A21939518, 2015.
- "Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni)." ECOS Environmental Conservation Online Syste…
- Anthony, Robert G., et al. "Bald Eagles and Sea Otters in the Aleutian Archipelago: Indirect Effects of Trophic Cascades." Ecology 89.10 (2008): 2725–35. Print
- Doroff, A. and A. Burdin. "Enhydra lutris." The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T7750A21939518, 2015.
- "Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni)." ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System, 2005.
- "Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis)." ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System, 2016.
Overview
The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg (30 and 100 lb), making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals. Unlike most marine mammals, the sea otter's primary form of insulation is an exceptionall…
Evolution
The sea otter is the heaviest (the giant otter is longer, but significantly slimmer) member of the family Mustelidae, a diverse group that includes the 13 otter species and terrestrial animals such as weasels, badgers, and minks. It is unique among the mustelids in not making dens or burrows, in having no functional anal scent glands, and in being able to live its entire life without leaving the water. The only living member of the genus Enhydra, the sea otter is so different from other mus…
Description
The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammal species, but it is the heaviest mustelid. Male sea otters usually weigh 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb) and are 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 11 in to 4 ft 11 in) in length, though specimens up to 54 kg (119 lb) have been recorded. Females are smaller, weighing 14 to 33 kg (31 to 73 lb) and measuring 1.0 to 1.4 m (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 7 in) in length. For its size, th…
Behavior
The sea otter is diurnal. It has a period of foraging and eating in the morning, starting about an hour before sunrise, then rests or sleeps in mid-day. Foraging resumes for a few hours in the afternoon and subsides before sunset, and a third foraging period may occur around midnight. Females with pups appear to be more inclined to feed at night. Observations of the amount of time a sea ott…
Population and distribution
Sea otters live in coastal waters 15 to 23 metres (49 to 75 ft) deep, and usually stay within a kilometre (⅔ mi) of the shore. They are found most often in areas with protection from the most severe ocean winds, such as rocky coastlines, thick kelp forests, and barrier reefs. Although they are most strongly associated with rocky substrates, sea otters can also live in areas where the sea floor con…
Ecology
High energetic requirements of sea otter metabolism require them to consume at least 20% of their body weight a day. Surface swimming and foraging are major factors in their high energy expenditure due to drag on the surface of the water when swimming and the thermal heat loss from the body during deep dives when foraging. Sea otter muscles are specially adapted to generate heat witho…
Relationship with humans
Sea otters have the thickest fur of any mammal, which makes them a common target for many hunters. Archaeological evidence indicates that for thousands of years, indigenous peoples have hunted sea otters for food and fur. Large-scale hunting, part of the Maritime Fur Trade, which would eventually kill approximately one million sea otters, began in the 18th century when hunters …
See also
• California Fur Rush