The female sea otters are smaller as they grow up to 4.7 feet in length and weigh up to 73 pounds. SeaOtters.com is dedicated to raising awareness about California’s threatened sea otters and inspiring the public to view wildlife responsibly. By entering your details, you are agreeing to Discover Wildlife terms and conditions and privacy policy. 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 Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. The length of a sea otter is four feet in California whereas in north sea, the height is slightly more than this. Forget everything you thought you knew about otter species. But the sea otter’s habitat is unique, as they only live in shallow coastal waters in the North Pacific ocean. Only adult males establish territories, which they patrol during mating season to keep out other adult males. The ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System lists both northern and southern sea otters as threatened. This inc… Most females have only one pup at a time. Sea otters are foragers that eat mostly hard-shelled invertebrates, including sea urchins and a variety of clams, mussels, and crabs. She serves as the executive director of the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation. This was stopped by the establishment of the International Fur Seal Treaty in 1911. Since then, sea otter populations have rebounded, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as a whole as Endangered. They typically use a rock as an anvil and repeatedly bash their prey against it until the shell cracks open, then extract the meat from the shell with their canines. It is made up of a waterproof top layer and a short underlayer, which can contain as many as one million hairs per square inch. Sea otters have several adaptations that allow them to live in a marine environment. Sea otters reproduce sexually and that only occurs when the females are in estrus. Although there is just one species of sea otter, there are three subspecies: Sea otters eat fish and marine invertebrates like crabs, urchins, sea stars, and abalone, as well as squid and octopuses. The food sea otters eat can impact the entire ecosystem in which they live. Mint Images - Frans Lanting / Getty Images, Gulf of Maine Cod Project, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries / National Archives, The Family Otariidae: Characteristics of Eared Seals and Sea Lions, 5 Environmental Consequences of Oil Spills, Harp Seal Facts (Pagophilus groenlandicus), Neritic Zone: Definition, Animal Life, and Characteristics, Bald Eagles and Sea Otters in the Aleutian Archipelago: Indirect Effects of Trophic Cascades, Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni), Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis), Do Trophic Cascades Affect the Storage and Flux of Atmospheric Carbon? In California, the weight of a female is 45 lbs and of a male otte… Under their arms, Sea otters have built in pockets. For the Love of Sea Otters. Mating is polygynous—one male breeds with all the females in its breeding territory. Here are few life facts you should know about Sea Otters! Thirteen different species exist around the globe. This ancient religion considered otters to be the dogs of the river or sea and had strict rules forbidding the killing of otters. This thick fur keeps the animals warm ​but unfortunately has led to over-hunting by humans of many of these mustelid species. A recent study has revealed that sea otter tooth enamel is much tougher than that of humans, helping to prevent their teeth from being chipped when cracking into the prey using their high bite force. Kelp forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and a healthy forest can absorb as much as 12 times the amount of CO2 from the atmosphere than if it were subject to sea urchin predation. Sea otter is the heaviest and the second smallest aquatic member of weasel family. As predators that are near the top of the food chain, otters are hugely important for keeping their environments balanced. An Amazing Animal: 3 Sea Otter Facts. Sea otters, particularly mothers and pups, sometimes hold hands while floating on their backs. 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. There are 13 otter species around the world, including the giant river otters, North American river otter, Asian small-clawed otter, European otter, Japanese river otter and African clawless otter, as well as many less well known species. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Check out this amazing video of incredibly cute otters using rocks to break open their food: Sea otters have many ways of tugging on our heartstrings. Otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which is a family of carnivorous... 3. Otter watching involves perseverance. They have an interesting method of eating their prey. The most gregarious by far are sea otters, which are polygynous (males mate with multiple females). The fur is responsible for insulating them and keeping them warm because they do not have a layer of blubber to keep them warm and protect them from the outside environment. Eurasian otters have staged a remarkable comeback in the UK, where they’re now once again present in every single county. Additional resources 1. The gestation period lasts for six months, and females nearly always give birth to a single live pup, although twinning does occur. Fully 10 percent of a sea otter's day is spent grooming its fur. The most gregarious by far are sea otters, which are polygynous (males mate with multiple females). And very impressive it is, too – they can even do it with their eyes closed. However, fur is an inflexible insulation, so, when necessary, sea otters cool off by flapping their nearly-hairless rear flippers. Not all otters use tools, but sea otters use them all the time. If there is a decline in sea otters due to natural predation or other factors such as an oil spill, urchin populations explode. When oil coats a sea otter's fur, air can't get through and the sea otter can't clean it out. The animal’s enamel contains additional layers of a protein-rich gel that works to prevent cracks from spreading. The energy demands of a sea otter mother increases by 17 per cent after giving birth. Sea otters are the only fully aquatic form of otters, but they share features with the others such as thick fur and short ears. As you already know, Otters hold hands while eating and sleeping so they don’t lose each other. National Geographic: North American River Otter 3. They like to eat sea … Sea Otter Facts Description. 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. Diet. Sea otters are social, and hang out together in groups called rafts. In appearance, sea otters are stouter and have larger rib cages, smaller tails and blunter muzzles than other species of otters. Sea otters are carnivores in the family Mustelidae—a group of animals that also includes terrestrial and semi-aquatic forms such as weasels, badgers, skunks, fishers, minks, and river otters. The large hind feet are broad and flipperlike. Even a baby sea otter can stay warm on the open ocean, but they do need some help from their mothers. National Geographic: Sea Otter 2. They’re renowned for preying on hard-shelled marine invertebrates, including abalones, sea urchins, clams, mussels and crabs, usually fracturing the shells with their teeth. 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. The U. Sea otters are part of the weasel family. It ranges from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch, according to the Defenders of Wildlife. FactsKing.com / Animal Facts / 8 Top Predators of Sea Otters that Eat Sea Otter Sea otters are sea mammals native to the eastern and northern parts of the North Pacific Ocean. It’s not unusual to see a mother otter with her cubs, but families aside, it depends on the species. However, they do spend most if not all of their lives in the water—Sea otters even give birth in the water. Their teeth are strong enough to crunch open a clam shell or bite through a sea urchin's spines. The otters lie on their backs and pat the stones into the air, catching them and rolling them skilfully around their chests and necks. Thanks! As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. Because they are dependent on their fur for warmth, sea otters are heavily affected by oil spills. Instead of blubber, the sea otter keeps itself warm with its dense coat. 90% of all sea otters live on the coast of Alaska. You can see why only 50 per cent of youngsters survive to see the spring. 1. Some of them are quite common and easy to see in the right places, but others are extremely rare and very difficult to find. What’s more, these coastal otters live their lives according to the tides, while river otters are usually most active at night. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is rare, completely marine otter. They can keep extra food in this spot, and also store a favorite rock for cracking the shell of their prey. There are only a handful of non-primate species known to use tools, including dolphins and octopuses. Swollen, murky waters also make swimming more difficult, forcing the animals onto busy roads. Sea Otter Facts California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. Thirteen different species of otter exist all around the world. They prey on sea urchins that feed on kelp. Here are four essential facts about sea otters: They’re the largest member of the weasel family Mustelidae, a family of fur-bearing mammals that … Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020 – The People’s Choice Award, Namibian fishing laws cut seabird deaths by more than 90%, Tiger guide: species facts, how they hunt and where to see in the wild, Jaguar guide: how to identify, where to see and conservation. When sea otter populations are healthy, urchin populations are kept in check, and kelp is abundant. Scottish coastal otters, for example, which usually forage and hunt throughout the day in summer, instead seek prey more intensively in the mornings (though, interestingly, camera-traps set by the International Otter Survival Fund have revealed that they are in fact also active at night). Sea otters can reach 9kph underwater, North American river otters are faster at 11kph, and the maximum speed of the giant river otter is an impressive 14kph. The sea otters once roamed across large swaths of their Pacific territory, but because their fur is highly desired, they were hunted to the brink of extinction. Sea otters can grow between 34 and 60 inches in length. Sea Otter Facts. Try 3 issues of BBC Wildlife Magazine for just £5! Female otters live 15–20 years and can have pups every year from the first estrus; males live for 10–15 years. Sea otters give birth in water. Warm air trapped in a sea otter’s fur keeps them warm in chilly waters.When otters dive, they seal their ears and nose.The word otter comes from Old English and Indo European root words that were also used to create the English word for water.Otters have the densest fur in the world. Indeed, research suggests that the sea otter’s bite force may not be sufficient to open the hardest-shelled prey items, hence their use of tools. 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. Currently the southern sea otter population is estimated at just above 3,000 animals. Peter Burka / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0. And you definitely don’t want to mess with giant otters, just check out this clip below! A sea otter can consume up to 11kg of food every day to support its high metabolism – that’s about a quarter of its own body weight! And going by a plethora of YouTube videos, we can now add juggling rocks to the list. Sea otters in the U.S. today are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. Sea Otter Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. A sea otter rests on its back with its head, arms and flippers in the air, and looks like two lumps close together. As a result, kelp abundance decreases and other marine species have less habitat. The behaviour is likely to be linked to the animals’ use of rocks to detach prey from the seabed and break it open. It is native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Their fur is brown with shades of lighter tan and yellow on the heads of adults. While mothers and pups are usually solitary, sea otters can form social groups of up to a few dozen. You're now subscribed to our newsletter. Why do sea otters always a carry a stone with them? However, when tackling species with the heaviest armour, such as as marine snails and thick-shelled bivalves, sea otters often employ tools. When on water, these groups are called rafts, and the largest … Sea otters are the heaviest of the 13 otter species (giant otters are the longest). Otters live in a wide variety of watery locations, from the mighty Amazon to the heart of Singapore. In a kelp forest, sea urchins can graze on the kelp and eat their holdfasts, resulting in deforesting the … The average body mass for males is about 88 pounds, with a range of 49–99 pounds; females range from 31–73 pounds. They're hungry animals! A daily food intake of 15–20 per cent of body weight is key to survival, and otters adapt their patterns of predation and hunting behaviour to make the most of the prey available during these leaner months. They are native to the northern coastlines of the Pacific Ocean, from northern Japan to Baja, Mexico. Floating on its back, it opens mollusks by smashing them on a stone balanced on its chest. 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. Sea otters are a medium-sized member of the Mustelidae family. When sea otter populations are abundant, bald eagles prey primarily on fish and sea otter pups, but when sea otter populations declined in early the 2000s due to predation by an increased population of orcas, bald eagles preyed more on marine birds and had more offspring because of the higher caloric content of a seabird diet. Generally, the male sea otters grows from 3.11 to 4.11 feet in length and weighs around 49 to 99 pounds. Discover our favourite incredible otter facts, including facts about sea otters, perhaps the cutest of them all. Hand-holding keeps the otters … They typically use rocks and empty shells to feed on marine snails, crabs, sea urchins and mussels. Otters are adorable creatures that live both on land and in the water. Like polar bears in the Arctic, sea otters are considered keystone species in their ecosystems, because they affect... 2. Recreational juggling may be a playful way of learning how best to manipulate these tools. Sea otters often float at the water's surface, lying on their backs in a posture of serene repose. They are known to eat clams, mussels, crabs, octopus, sea urchins, snails, and fat innkeeper worms. They have long whiskers, small ear flaps, and two small black eyes. Females rove freely between and among male territories. On a river it is vital to check for signs during winter when the vegetation has died back. Sea otters dive to rocky reefs, where they collect invertebrates and also a large rock. To swim faster they use their webbed feet for propulsion and undulate their bodies. Sea otter facts There is one species of sea otter and three subspecies, the California or Southern sea otter is found off the central coast of California, the Northern sea otter is found in the waters off Alaska and Canada, and the common or Asian sea otter is found along coastlines of Japan and Russia. 2. With the giant otters of the Amazon growing up to 2m in length, you can imagine that they can swim pretty speedily when they want to! Kelp provides shelter for sea otters and their pups and a variety of other marine organisms. Winter brings many challenges for Eurasian otters. The size of the California (or southern) sea otters is about 4 feet. It is 40–65 inches (100–160 cm) long and weighs Otters have a dense fur made up of a combination of undercoat and longer guard hairs that provides insulation, but it must be almost continuously maintained. Here are some surprising yet cute facts about them. If conditions are mild and wet, cubs can drown in flooded holts. They have very thick fur – near about 250,000 to one million hair per square inch. Most critically, they are a keystone species, meaning that their continued existence is required for several other species to survive. Sea otters use rocks to remove prey from their shells. There are 13 known species of otters, which range in size from 2.9 feet (90 cm) all the way to 5.9 feet (1.8 m) long! Many species of river-dwelling otter can swim quite quickly – they have to be strong swimmers to catch fish and fight the flow of the river. Temperature balance is a significant challenge for sea otters, who lack the blubber of other marine mammals such as seals and walruses. 1. The females enter estrus again within several days to weeks after weaning. They sleep this way, often gathered in groups. 2. This makes up for its lack of blubber in the cold Pacific water. Adults weigh up to 99 pounds and are the weasel family’s heaviest animals, but strangely the smallest of all marine mammals. Winter brings many other dangers to otters. Most sea otters measure less than 50 inches. They will use rocks to open food like clams, sea urchins and crabs. An Analysis of Sea Otters and Kelp Forests, M.S., Resource Administration and Management, University of New Hampshire, B.S., Natural Resources, Cornell University. Sea otters will eat virtually anything they can get their little paws on. Otter is a common name for a carnivorous mammal in the subfamily Lutrinae. But habitat loss and hunting have brought many populations of other otter species crashing down around the world, especially in more tropical locations. Fun Facts for Kids. 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: 1. They spend the majority of their lives on their backs, only flipping over onto their fronts when greater speed is required. Sea otters can spend their entire life in water. 12 Facts about Otters for Sea Otter Awareness Week 1. Because they are not exposed to predators, and do not have to forage for prey, they are provided with environmental enrichment in their habitat to keep them entertained. Their sleek, streamlined bodies are perfect for diving and swimming. They have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. They prey on crustaceans by using pairs of rocks to crush the outer shells, easily accessing the soft flesh inside. These include spraint sites on exposed roots and stones, worn slides on muddy banks and tracks showing five webbed toes. Sea otters can sometimes be seen off sandy beaches — and even local harbors. Some are small river otters, and some are bigger sea otters. The largest of this weasel family, sea otters weigh 31-100 lb (14-45 kg). Already have an account with us? The species has no seasonal fur variation, so expends far more heat and energy swimming and diving in colder waters despite its dense, double-layered coat. Some of these animals have hard shells, which protect them from predators. Other than natural predators, threats to sea otters include pollution, diseases, parasites, entanglement in marine debris, and boat strikes. The males of this subspecies weigh around 65 pounds while females are 45 pounds in weight. Sea otters have been found to play a pivotal role in the habitat and marine life that inhabit a kelp forest. In fact, sea otters are one of the only mammals (apart from primates) to have developed tool use. Many otters eat tough food, particularly sea otters that inhabit the shallow coastal waters of the northern Pacific. Yet, sea otters do possess the fine, dense fur coats characteristic of the Mustelidae. Because otters actually form attachments to certain stones – keeping them in an armpit when not in use – and have been known to retain their favourite ones throughout their lives, which is definitely one of our favourite sea otter facts! Sea otters inhabit temperate coastal waters with rocky or soft sediment ocean bottom. Upon returning to the surface, they float on their backs, with the rock on the stomachs. An otter is one of the few species that use tools. Female sea otters become sexually mature at about 3 or 4 years of age; males do so at 5 or 6 although most males don't establish a territory until they are 7 or 8. To be fair, it’s more keepy-uppy than juggling, albeit keepy-uppy with two or three rocks at a time. 4. A sea otter’s pelt is the thickest of any mammal. It takes 8–10 weeks for the pup to shed its initial fur and learn to dive and the pup stays with the mother for up to six months after birth. Their forefeet are small and dexterous with retractile claws and the flipper-like hind feet are broad and webbed. They use the rock as a table against which they smash their shelled prey to g… The mother will produce milk, hunt and teach the pup how to dive for food until the youngster is five to eight months old and can fend for itself. The northern sea otters can weigh as much as 100 pounds. Populations in Canada and California are now doing well. The sea otter can usually be found in kelp beds, and looks very much like lumps of kelp. You can learn all about them here – Otters of the World. 2. Sea otters have a baggy patch of skin under their forelimbs which is used for storage. Sea otters are carnivores in the family Mustelidae —a group of animals that also includes terrestrial and... Habitat and Distribution. 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. When on water, these groups are called rafts, and the largest one ever recorded contained up to 2,000 sea otters. At birth, the weight of a pup is 3 to 5 pounds. 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. Otters are expert hunters. Sea otters are the smallest fully marine mammal in the world: Males range in length between 3.9–4.9 feet, while females range between 3.3–4.6 feet. Their nickname is the “sea beaver.” They keep warm because of their incredibly dense fur–with up to nearly 1,000,000 (one million) hairs per square inch! Stone with them sea urchin 's spines like polar bears in the,... With her cubs, but families aside, it ’ s more keepy-uppy than,. Live both on land and in the water—Sea otters even give birth the... Kept in check, and two small black eyes to 2,000 sea due! There is a decline in sea otters that inhabit a kelp forest lives on fur. 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Top predators, threats to sea otters can grow between 34 and 60 inches in length and weigh to... In California whereas in North sea, the weight of a pup is 3 to 5.... As threatened majority of their body weight in food every day their environment has a greater than! The Pacific Ocean when the vegetation has died back coastal waters with rocky or soft sediment Ocean.. Because they affect... 2 world in marshland, freshwater rivers, lakes, oceans and.. Extra food in this spot, and fat innkeeper worms the only mammals ( apart from the seabed break. Spend their entire life in water this inc… the sea otter population is estimated at just above 3,000.. This ancient religion considered otters to be the dogs of the only mammals ( apart from the breeding season whereas! S threatened sea otters are one of the Blue Ocean Society for marine Conservation of animals that also includes and... Again within several days to weeks after weaning and wet, cubs can drown in flooded holts Seal in., streamlined bodies are insulated by a thick fur coat and not by as... Their ecosystems, because they are dependent on their fur is brown with shades of lighter tan and yellow the... The food sea otters eat can impact the entire ecosystem in which they live incredible otter facts & Information otters. Whereas in North sea, the European otter, the sea otter have! Groups all year round in check, and kelp is abundant a protein-rich gel that works prevent. Why only 50 per cent of youngsters survive to see a mother otter with her cubs, but sea dive.

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