The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Their fur is the densest of any animal with about 100,000 hairs per square centimeter. Look for rafting groups! If otters fascinate you, below are some interesting otter facts. Calans belong to the family Cunyi. Sea otters weigh more -- around 45-90 pounds -- with large, furry faces. Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp or hold hands when sleeping to prevent drifting. An otter is one of the few species that use tools. 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. To keep from drifting away from each other, sea otters will wrap themselves up in seaweed, forming something that resembles a raft. Sea otter pups are born with a buoyant fur that does not allow them to sink. 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. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. A sea otter’s pelt is the thickest of any mammal. Sea otter facts! 1. Currently the southern sea otter population is estimated at just above 3,000 animals. Even a baby sea otter can stay warm on the open ocean, but they do need some help from their mothers. Quick facts about this adorable marine mammal! The sea otter's dark brown fur is the finest and densest of any animal fur. These include fully webbed hind feet; nostrils and ears that can close; and thick, water-repelling fur that keeps them dry and warm. Sea otters don’t let death hold them back from going to pound town. Sea otters can five to 250 feet (76 meters) to forage for food. Generally, the male sea otters grows from 3.11 to 4.11 feet in length and weighs around 49 to 99 pounds. North American Sea Otter is also more slender than other otter breeds. In fact, at 850,000 to one million hairs per square inch, they have the thickest fur of any mammal. They have very thick fur – near about 250,000 to one million hair per square inch. 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. Sea otters are the exception, giving birth in the water. 9. They cleverly use rocks as ‘tools’ to smash the shells by placing the rock upon their chest while floating on their backs and bashing the mollusc against it repeatedly. 1. Sea otters have incredibly dense fur, with up to 150,000 hair follicles per square centimeter. The sea otter is the largest member of the weasel family, yet the smallest marine mammal in North America. On an adult animal, there are an estimated 650,000 hairs per square inch. Northern sea otters are larger, up to 70 pounds (32 kg) for females and 100 pounds (45 kg) for males. Sea Otter Facts California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. They have an interesting method of eating their prey. 6. Sea otters in the United States received additional protections with the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s. When otters dive, they seal their ears and nose. Otters have as many as 2.6 million hairs per square inch. The Russian Sea Otter is found off the eastern coast of Russia and several have been reported in Japan. Most sea otters call Alaska home. In their adult stages of life, Sea Otters will weigh from 7 to 31 pounds. The smallest marine mammal, sea otters can be as long as 4 feet (1.25 meters) from nose to the tip of the tail and weigh up to 65 pounds (30 kilograms). Warm air trapped in a sea otter’s fur keeps them warm in chilly waters. Otters can be found in unpolluted waters all over the world in marshland, freshwater rivers, lakes, oceans and coastlines. 10. If you want to help sea otters, you can get in touch with charities such as Friends of the Sea Otter. Sea otters often float at the water's surface in forests of kelp, or giant seaweed, and entangle themselves to keep from moving in the rolling sea. Facts about Sea otters June 23, 2017 June 23, 2017 admintag Being on the shore or resting in the water, sea otters take care of their chic fur for a long time, comb and smooth it. Other facts. In California, the weight of a female is 45 lbs and of a male otte… They use the rock as a table against which they smash their shelled prey to g… Here are some interesting sea otter related facts for you. These otters have since been the basis for the entire repopulation of the species. Sea otters are foragers that eat mostly hard-shelled invertebrates, including sea urchins and a variety of clams, mussels, and crabs. Lifespan: 10-15 years on average, but some have lived to be 20. It is native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Pups stay with their mothers for the first 8 months of life. Otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which is a family of carnivorous mammals that includes skunks, weasels, wolverines and badgers. Sea otters use rocks to remove prey from their shells. And, the Russian population consists of approximately 15,000 with about a dozen in Japan. Sea Otters. Pictures & Facts On The Iconic Animals Of North America, With FREE Printable Worksheet, Best North American Wildlife Field Guides: Recommended Books On The Wildlife Of North America, Christmas Animals: Animals Associated With Christmas From All Around The World. Physical Description. Sea Otters can live their entire lives at sea, though they are … Upon returning to the surface, they float on their backs, with the rock on the stomachs. It ranges from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch, according to the Defenders of Wildlife. Get ready for some awesome otter facts and photos. They like to eat sea … 12. One study saw a male sea otter hold a struggling female underwater until she died during intercourse and ten months later, the same otter was seen swimming, diving, and having sex with a different female carcass. Most sea otters measure less than 50 inches. North American Sea Otters are larger than Asian otters. Sea otters are found in the cold waters of the North Pacific Ocean along the western North American coastline. They live in offshore forests of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), and spend most of their active time foraging below the canopy. Currently there are less than 3,000 Sea Otters in California, between 65,000 and 78 ,000 in Washington, Canada, and Alaska combined. Oct 24, 2018 - Explore Kristen Marie's board "Otter Facts", followed by 103 people on Pinterest. Sea otters are a ‘keystone species’ within kelp forests, maintaining the balance in the food web between kelp and sea urchins, allowing the forests to thrive. Ever wonder where otters actually store these tools for safe keeping? A lanugo is a very soft, downy hair that develops in humans as well as animals. Learn about more amazing animals on our Artic Animals page. Sea otters are social animals and raft together in groups of a few dozen to hundreds of animals. The semi-aquatic creatures known as Sea otters may grow to between 34 and 60 inches in length, though it is very rare to find a Sea Otter surpassing 50 inches. However, it is only once they were hunted nearly to extinction that we came to realize their value alive as a keystone species rather than a fur pelt. They will use rocks to open food like clams, sea … The southern sea otter measures up to 4 feet (1.2 m) in length; females weigh up to 50 pounds (23 kg) and males up to 70 pounds (32 kg). 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