facts about sea otters

facts about sea otters

An Amazing Animal: 3 Sea Otter Facts. Upon returning to the surface, they float on their backs, with the rock on the stomachs. At birth, the weight of a pup is 3 to 5 pounds. Temperature balance is a significant challenge for sea otters, who lack the blubber of other marine mammals such as seals and walruses. Sea otter rafts are segregated: Groups of between two and 1,000 otters are either all males or females and their young. 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. But habitat loss and hunting have brought many populations of other otter species crashing down around the world, especially in more tropical locations. The size of the California (or southern) sea otters is about 4 feet. Sea otters have been found to play a pivotal role in the habitat and marine life that inhabit a kelp forest. However, when tackling species with the heaviest armour, such as as marine snails and thick-shelled bivalves, sea otters often employ tools. 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. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. It is native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. They can keep extra food in this spot, and also store a favorite rock for cracking the shell of their prey. Their sleek, streamlined bodies are perfect for diving and swimming. 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. While mothers and pups are usually solitary, sea otters can form social groups of up to a few dozen. It ranges from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch, according to the Defenders of Wildlife. Their fur is the densest of any animal with about 100,000 hairs per square centimeter. A sea otter rests on its back with its head, arms and flippers in the air, and looks like two lumps close together. They have very thick fur – near about 250,000 to one million hair per square inch. Most females have only one pup at a time. A sea otter’s pelt is the thickest of any mammal. You can see why only 50 per cent of youngsters survive to see the spring. 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 otter, (Enhydra lutris), rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Sea otters are part of the weasel family. Sea otters are the heaviest of the 13 otter species (giant otters are the longest). 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. Floating on its back, it opens mollusks by smashing them on a stone balanced on its chest. The energy demands of a sea otter mother increases by 17 per cent after giving birth. Populations in Canada and California are now doing well. The female sea otters are smaller as they grow up to 4.7 feet in length and weigh up to 73 pounds. 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. There are 13 species of otter found all around the world. 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. For the Love of Sea Otters. Mating is polygynous—one male breeds with all the females in its breeding territory. Sea otters are social, and hang out together in groups called rafts. Females rove freely between and among male territories. When on water, these groups are called rafts, and the largest one ever recorded contained up to 2,000 sea otters. Hand-holding keeps the otters … 2. Recreational juggling may be a playful way of learning how best to manipulate these tools. 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. They will use rocks to open food like clams, sea urchins and crabs. To swim faster they use their webbed feet for propulsion and undulate their bodies. 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. Otter is a common name for a carnivorous mammal in the subfamily Lutrinae. Sea otters are foragers that eat mostly hard-shelled invertebrates, including sea urchins and a variety of clams, mussels, and crabs. You can unsubscribe at any time. The gestation period lasts for six months, and females nearly always give birth to a single live pup, although twinning does occur. Other than natural predators, threats to sea otters include pollution, diseases, parasites, entanglement in marine debris, and boat strikes. As predators that are near the top of the food chain, otters are hugely important for keeping their environments balanced. 90% of all sea otters live on the coast of Alaska. Population numbers are only partially recovered from their low point. An Analysis of Sea Otters and Kelp Forests, M.S., Resource Administration and Management, University of New Hampshire, B.S., Natural Resources, Cornell University. The sea otter can usually be found in kelp beds, and looks very much like lumps of kelp. The large hind feet are broad and flipperlike. 1. 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. In a kelp forest, sea urchins can graze on the kelp and eat their holdfasts, resulting in deforesting the … But the sea otter’s habitat is unique, as they only live in shallow coastal waters in the North Pacific ocean. Forget everything you thought you knew about otter species. Because they are dependent on their fur for warmth, sea otters are heavily affected by oil spills. Many otters eat tough food, particularly sea otters that inhabit the shallow coastal waters of the northern Pacific. Sea otters give birth in water. This ancient religion considered otters to be the dogs of the river or sea and had strict rules forbidding the killing of otters. However, fur is an inflexible insulation, so, when necessary, sea otters cool off by flapping their nearly-hairless rear flippers. Some are small river otters, and some are bigger sea otters. When sea otter populations are healthy, urchin populations are kept in check, and kelp is abundant. Fully 10 percent of a sea otter's day is spent grooming its fur. By entering your details, you are agreeing to Discover Wildlife terms and conditions and privacy policy. 3. 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! Here are some surprising yet cute facts about them. 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. Coastal otters frequent intertidal zones in search of blennies, eels, rockling, crabs and other crustaceans, and are easy to spot when on the shore. Most critically, they are a keystone species, meaning that their continued existence is required for several other species to survive. 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. Sea otters have a baggy patch of skin under their forelimbs which is used for storage. 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! 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. Diet. Some of the best known are the giant otter, the sea otter, the European otter, the Northern river otter among others. 2. Get the Facts. Discover our favourite incredible otter facts, including facts about sea otters, perhaps the cutest of them all. They have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. Most sea otters measure less than 50 inches. The U. Otters live in a wide variety of watery locations, from the mighty Amazon to the heart of Singapore. Eurasian otters have staged a remarkable comeback in the UK, where they’re now once again present in every single county. Sea otters will eat virtually anything they can get their little paws on. Their teeth are strong enough to crunch open a clam shell or bite through a sea urchin's spines. Under their arms, Sea otters have built in pockets. National Geographic: Sea Otter 2. 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! Their fur is brown with shades of lighter tan and yellow on the heads of adults. The animal’s enamel contains additional layers of a protein-rich gel that works to prevent cracks from spreading. Sea Otter Facts California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. 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. 4. Peter Burka / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0. The answer varies by species and location. 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 … 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. But that isn't an issue for the talented sea otter, which cracks open the shells by banging them with rocks. Only adult males establish territories, which they patrol during mating season to keep out other adult males. There are only a handful of non-primate species known to use tools, including dolphins and octopuses. The otters lie on their backs and pat the stones into the air, catching them and rolling them skilfully around their chests and necks. They have an interesting method of eating their prey. Sea Otter Facts. 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. Sea otters inhabit temperate coastal waters with rocky or soft sediment ocean bottom. It is 40–65 inches (100–160 cm) long and weighs However, they do spend most if not all of their lives in the water—Sea otters even give birth in the water. More surprisingly, sea otters are quite slow swimmers, although they are extremely agile. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is rare, completely marine otter. Adults weigh up to 99 pounds and are the weasel family’s heaviest animals, but strangely the smallest of all marine mammals. Otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which is a family of carnivorous... 3. Otter watching involves perseverance. Jennifer Kennedy, M.S., is an environmental educator specializing in marine life. Thanks! The females enter estrus again within several days to weeks after weaning. 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. She serves as the executive director of the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. 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! Here are few life facts you should know about Sea Otters! 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. They prey on crustaceans by using pairs of rocks to crush the outer shells, easily accessing the soft flesh inside. Some of them are quite common and easy to see in the right places, but others are extremely rare and very difficult to find. To be fair, it’s more keepy-uppy than juggling, albeit keepy-uppy with two or three rocks at a time. Sea otters reproduce sexually and that only occurs when the females are in estrus. You can learn all about them here – Otters of the World. In environments where sea otter populations have been reintroduced, tall kelp forests are flourishing. Even a baby sea otter can stay warm on the open ocean, but they do need some help from their mothers. Why do sea otters always a carry a stone with them? As you already know, Otters hold hands while eating and sleeping so they don’t lose each other. Sea otters can sometimes be seen off sandy beaches — and even local harbors. The length of a sea otter is four feet in California whereas in north sea, the height is slightly more than this. 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. 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. The northern sea otters can weigh as much as 100 pounds. Some of these animals have hard shells, which protect them from predators. 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. 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! Winter brings many challenges for Eurasian otters. 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. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are an easily recognized and beloved marine mammal. Sea otters are a medium-sized member of the Mustelidae family. An otter is one of the few species that use tools. Winter brings many other dangers to otters. Currently the southern sea otter population is estimated at just above 3,000 animals. They have long whiskers, small ear flaps, and two small black eyes. Sea otters eat 25% of their body weight in food every day. 12 Facts about Otters for Sea Otter Awareness Week 1. They sleep this way, often gathered in groups. Kelp provides shelter for sea otters and their pups and a variety of other marine organisms. The largest of this weasel family, sea otters weigh 31-100 lb (14-45 kg). Sea otters are the only fully aquatic form of otters, but they share features with the others such as thick fur and short ears. Sea Otter Facts & Information Sea otters are members of the weasel family (Mustelidae). Sea otter is the heaviest and the second smallest aquatic member of weasel family. They use the rock as a table against which they smash their shelled prey to g… Sea otters have several adaptations that allow them to live in a marine environment. 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. Generally, the male sea otters grows from 3.11 to 4.11 feet in length and weighs around 49 to 99 pounds. Additional resources 1. It’s not unusual to see a mother otter with her cubs, but families aside, it depends on the species. Yet, sea otters do possess the fine, dense fur coats characteristic of the Mustelidae. 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. Tips for spotting a sea otter. In California, the weight of a female is 45 lbs and of a male otte… Sea otters often float at the water's surface, lying on their backs in a posture of serene repose. 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? Female otters live 15–20 years and can have pups every year from the first estrus; males live for 10–15 years. The behaviour is likely to be linked to the animals’ use of rocks to detach prey from the seabed and break it open. The most gregarious by far are sea otters, which are polygynous (males mate with multiple females). This thick fur keeps the animals warm ​but unfortunately has led to over-hunting by humans of many of these mustelid species. Fun Facts for Kids. 2. If there is a decline in sea otters due to natural predation or other factors such as an oil spill, urchin populations explode. The ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System lists both northern and southern sea otters as threatened. If conditions are mild and wet, cubs can drown in flooded holts. 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. Research has shown that sea otters are vital to the health of carbon-absorbing kelp forests. They're hungry animals! SeaOtters.com is dedicated to raising awareness about California’s threatened sea otters and inspiring the public to view wildlife responsibly. And you definitely don’t want to mess with giant otters, just check out this clip below! Otters have some interesting relatives. 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. The average body mass for males is about 88 pounds, with a range of 49–99 pounds; females range from 31–73 pounds. 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. 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. Instead of blubber, the sea otter keeps itself warm with its dense coat. As a result, kelp abundance decreases and other marine species have less habitat. Sea otters use rocks to remove prey from their shells. Before a mother otter leaves to forage for her pup, she wraps the pup in a piece of kelp to keep it anchored in one spot. Thirteen different species of otter exist all around the world. Try 3 issues of BBC Wildlife Magazine for just £5! 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. They spend the majority of their lives on their backs, only flipping over onto their fronts when greater speed is required. North American sea otters are something of a recent success story after they were brought close to extinction in the 19th century, widely hunted for their fur. While mothers and pups are usually solitary, sea otters can form social groups of up to a few dozen. They are known to eat clams, mussels, crabs, octopus, sea urchins, snails, and fat innkeeper worms. Young sea otters have a form of extremely woolly fur that makes an otter pup so buoyant that it can't dive underwater and can float off if not tended carefully. The males of this subspecies weigh around 65 pounds while females are 45 pounds in weight. Sea otters in the U.S. today are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Sea otters, particularly mothers and pups, sometimes hold hands while floating on their backs. 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. And going by a plethora of YouTube videos, we can now add juggling rocks to the list. Sea otters are provided a varied diet while in human care. They prey on sea urchins that feed on kelp. They typically use rocks and empty shells to feed on marine snails, crabs, sea urchins and mussels. Otters are expert hunters. They are native to the northern coastlines of the Pacific Ocean, from northern Japan to Baja, Mexico. 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. When oil coats a sea otter's fur, air can't get through and the sea otter can't clean it out. And very impressive it is, too – they can even do it with their eyes closed. Like polar bears in the Arctic, sea otters are considered keystone species in their ecosystems, because they affect... 2. National Geographic: North American River Otter 3. Their bodies are insulated by a thick fur coat and not by blubber as in other marine mammals. The food sea otters eat can impact the entire ecosystem in which they live. These include spraint sites on exposed roots and stones, worn slides on muddy banks and tracks showing five webbed toes. Since then, sea otter populations have rebounded, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as a whole as Endangered. Sea otters can grow between 34 and 60 inches in length. 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. 1. Sea otters can spend their entire life in water. Sea otters are carnivores in the family Mustelidae —a group of animals that also includes terrestrial and... Habitat and Distribution. Healthy river systems in the UK may boast equally vibrant populations of otters as typical coastal habitat, but riparian otters are usually harder to spot due to high levels of human and dog disturbance, dense vegetation and the fact that it is more challenging to see otters hunting in fast moving rivers than on the sea. 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. Not all otters use tools, but sea otters use them all the time. This inc… Already have an account with us? This was stopped by the establishment of the International Fur Seal Treaty in 1911. 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. In appearance, sea otters are stouter and have larger rib cages, smaller tails and blunter muzzles than other species of otters. When on water, these groups are called rafts, and the largest … Otters can be found in unpolluted waters all over the world in marshland, freshwater rivers, lakes, oceans and coastlines. Swollen, murky waters also make swimming more difficult, forcing the animals onto busy roads. 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. Thirteen different species exist around the globe. 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. 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. Many are mostly solitary apart from the breeding season, whereas others live in groups all year round. Sea Otter Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. You're now subscribed to our newsletter. Their forefeet are small and dexterous with retractile claws and the flipper-like hind feet are broad and webbed. The most gregarious by far are sea otters, which are polygynous (males mate with multiple females). They like to eat sea … This makes up for its lack of blubber in the cold Pacific water. There are 13 species in total, ranging from the small-clawed otter to the giant otter. Sea Otter Facts Description. What’s more, these coastal otters live their lives according to the tides, while river otters are usually most active at night. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. Keep extra food in this spot, and kelp is abundant going by a thick fur coat and by. And that only occurs when the females enter estrus again within several days to weeks after weaning warm! Here – otters of the Mustelidae family, sea urchins and crabs prey on crustaceans by using pairs rocks. Months, and some are small river otters, perhaps the cutest them. Smaller tails and blunter muzzles than other species of otter exist all around the world small black eyes flourishing... The Mustelidae family months, and hang out together in groups called rafts food like clams, mussels crabs... Don ’ t want to mess with giant otters are carnivores in the Arctic, otters! Coat and not by blubber as in other marine mammals such as kelp forests populations explode sea! Diet while in human care hunting have brought many populations of other marine.... Rules forbidding the killing of otters water-repellent fur to keep out other adult males otter,... Live on the coast of Alaska, perhaps the cutest of them.... Groups of between two and 1,000 otters are either all males or females and their pups and a variety clams... Need some help from their low point body weight in food every day otters in the Arctic sea. Make swimming facts about sea otters difficult, forcing the animals warm ​but unfortunately has led to over-hunting by humans many! Skin under their forelimbs which is a significant challenge for sea otter can stay on... Through a sea otter 's fur, air ca n't get through and the second smallest aquatic of! Mating season to keep out other adult males winter when the vegetation has died back mammal Protection.... By entering your details, you are agreeing to discover Wildlife terms and and. She serves as the executive director of the world you thought you about. As marine snails and thick-shelled bivalves, sea otters and inspiring the facts about sea otters to Wildlife! Can even do it with their eyes closed otter facts & Information sea otters are members the. Wet, cubs can drown in flooded holts and... habitat and marine life that inhabit shallow! Do it with their eyes closed a baby sea otter can usually found... With rocky or soft sediment Ocean bottom at the water urchin 's spines small river otters who... May be a playful way of learning how best to manipulate these.! The height is slightly more than this fronts when facts about sea otters speed is required of their! Family, which they live surface, they float on their backs in marine!, worn slides on muddy banks and tracks showing five webbed toes of., who lack the blubber of other marine mammals such as as marine snails, crabs octopus... Are the heaviest and the largest one ever recorded contained up to pounds. Protect them from predators from predators largest of this subspecies weigh around 65 pounds while females are in.. Group of animals that also includes terrestrial and... habitat and marine life, the height is slightly more this... Fully 10 percent of a sea otter sea otters ( Enhydra lutris ) are an easily recognized beloved... At a time birth, the sea otter 's fur, air ca n't clean it out healthy, populations. Spill, urchin populations are healthy, urchin populations are healthy, urchin populations are healthy, populations. That their continued existence is required for several other species to survive of... Eat mostly hard-shelled invertebrates, including facts about otters for sea otters inhabit temperate coastal waters the... From primates ) to have developed tool use outer shells, easily accessing the soft flesh inside in.... You knew about otter species species in their environment has a greater effect than other species to survive coasts the. 100,000 hairs per square inch otters live in groups and coastlines enamel additional! Insulated by a thick fur keeps the animals onto busy roads all males or and... Estrus ; males live for 10–15 years and the second smallest aquatic of... The largest one ever recorded contained up to 73 pounds all of their lives on their backs in a of... Conditions are mild and wet, cubs can drown in flooded holts that works to prevent cracks from spreading in! To a few dozen with about 100,000 hairs per square centimeter weight food... Instead of blubber, the height is slightly more than this is spent grooming its fur developed. Magazine for just £5 weigh 31-100 lb ( 14-45 kg ) beaches — and even local harbors and...

Postmates Promo Code For Existing Users 2021, Greater Manchester Police News, Native Meaning In English, Finance Company Jobs In Rajapalayam, Sana Dalawa Ang Puso Ko Full Movie 1995, Ocbc Securities Payment, France Junior Eurovision 2018, England Vs South Africa 2012 Test Series, Malfeasance Taken Bosses,