Sea otters eat many kinds of invertebrates, including sea urchins, abalone, clams, crabs, snails, sea stars, squid & octopuses. I’m dead serious. An otter is one of the few species that use tools. They live mainly on land that is very close to bodies of water. Research has shown that sea otters are vital to the health of carbon-absorbing kelp forests. 6. It wedges a rock between its chest and the “armpit” of a foreleg and pounds shells against it to open them up. They like to eat sea urchins, clams, mussels and crabs. Tune into our LIVE Sea Otter Cam for your daily dose of sea otter cuteness. They live in offshore forests of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), and spend most of their active time foraging below the canopy. 4. National Geographic: Sea Otter 2. The North American Sea Otter is a much larger breed compared to Asian counterpart species, who only grow to around 10 pounds. White shark bites are now the leading cause of sea otter mortality in California. Hunted nearly to extinction by the fur trade, sea otters are endangered and currently exist in only a portion of their historic range. Lifespan: 10-15 years on average, but some have lived to be 20. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Sea otters are members of the weasel or mustelid family. All rights reserved. Sea otter is the heaviest and the second smallest aquatic member of weasel family. These adorable little guys have long, streamlined bodies that are just made for being in the water. North American Sea Otters are larger than Asian otters. Furry, playful and very, very smart, otters are beloved for their adorable antics and sweet appearance. An otter must consume 25% of its bodyweight in prey each day just to stay alive (for a 75 lb kid, that’s 75 1/4 lb burgers!). The sea otter also hammers rocks against strongly gripping abalone shells to pry them off of rocks and feed on their tasty insides. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. This system traps a layer of air next to their skin so their skin does not get wet. Sea otters can grow between 34 and 60 inches in length. They gorge on more than 100 different prey species. Pups begin to dive and forage at about 2 months. They have very thick fur – near about 250,000 to one million hair per square inch. Fun Facts for Kids. Otters are the dogs of the water world, so it’s no small wonder that we humans have such affection for them. The sea otter can live its entire life without leaving the water. They prey on sea urchins that feed on kelp. With populations once estimated at close to 300,000, sea otters were hunted extensively for their pelts. Sea Otter fressen Fische und wirbellose Meerestiere wie Krabben, Seeigel, Seesterne und Abalone, sowie Tintenfisch und Tintenfische. Average weight of an adult female California sea otter is about 50 lbs. If you come across a sea otter you think is sick, injured or abandoned, please give it space and call The Marine Mammal Center’s stranding hotline at (415) 289-7325. Most sea otters measure less than 50 inches. Aber das ist kein Problem für den talentierten Seeotter, die Risse die Schalen öffnen , indem sie mit Steinen hämmern. And, the Russian population consists of approximately 15,000 with about a dozen in Japan. Longest dive ever recorded was just under 8 minutes. Did you know sea otters have built in pouches of loose skin under their forearms to stash extra prey when diving? 3. 4. Deepest dive recorded is 264 feet. A group of otters is called a romp. Its hind feet are webbed and flat so they work more like flippers. They carry rocks and store food in the loose skin under their armpits - who needs carrier bags! Their teeth are strong enough to crunch open a clam shell or bite through a sea urchin's spines. Quick facts about this adorable marine mammal! Newborn sea otter pups are so buoyant they can’t immediately dive for food. 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. That’s because, unlike its fellow marine mammals, it has no blubber to keep it warm. They usually weigh between 7 to 31 pounds (3 – 14 kg). Sea Otter Facts: Habitat: Northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Sea otter moms typically nurse and care for their pups for about 6 months before weaning them. © 2021 World Wildlife Fund. Sea otters can spend their entire life in water. If a sea otter’s fur becomes dirty, it has trouble absorbing the air needed to keep it warm. 1. Sea otters use rocks to remove prey from their shells. Sea otters spend approximately 9 to 12 hours foraging each day. Additional resources 1. Sea otters play a vital role in the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystem as a keystone species. The sea otter also hammers rocks against strongly gripping abalone shells to pry them off of rocks and feed on their tasty insides. Learn 15 more facts about these fascinating mammals. Most common prey for California sea otters are Rock and Dungeness crabs. Newborn sea otter pups are so buoyant they can’t immediately dive for food. Mishka is an asthmatic otter who uses an inhaler. The sea otter must consume between 25 and 40 percent of its body weight daily, just to keep warm. Otters do not have blubber, instead air is trapped within their fur to keep them warm. Large percentage of southern sea otter mortality is due to infectious diseases, many of which are known to have anthropogenic causes. Sea otter moms typically nurse and care for their pups for about 6 months before weaning them. Although it can walk on land, the sea otter is capable of living exclusively in the ocean. Sea otters eat 25% of their body weight in food every day. 1250 24th Street, N.W. Have you ever seen an otter with a scarred or bloody nose? Average dive duration for California sea otters is about 60 seconds. The Russian Sea Otter is found off the eastern coast of Russia and several have been reported in Japan. This aquatic member of the weasel family is found along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. 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 can use a rock to dislodge mollusks and urchins from the rocks where they are attached. They are often mistaken for beavers though. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. 5. No sea otters, no kelp forests. Still, they remain classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “endangered.”. Sea otters wash themselves after a meal, cleaning their coat with their teeth and paws. The length of a sea otter is four feet in California whereas in north sea, the height is slightly more than this. Gestation is 6 months (2 months delayed implantation + 4 months pregnancy). 5. Is there a pupping season? Sea otters are usually dark brown, often with lighter guard h… Nope. Sea otters are equally active both night and day. Here are some surprising yet cute facts about them. Sea otters are one of the only mammals that are been known to use tools to obtain and eat their prey. Currently the southern sea otter population is estimated at just above 3,000 animals. Sea otter moms typically only give birth to 1 pup. Sea otters are known to wrap their pups and themselves in kelp to keep from drifting out to sea. Sea Otter Facts & Information. Sea otters primarily rely on their sense of touch (whiskers and forepaws) in murky waters to locate prey. Otters are mammals of the subfamily Lutrinae, one of two subfamilies contained within the family Mustelidae. On average, an adult male California sea otter consumes over 4,000 calories daily. Like polar bears in the Arctic, sea otters are considered keystone species in their ecosystems, because they affect great influence on their environments. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is rare, completely marine otter. In California, the weight of a female is 45 lbs and of a male otter is 65 l… Their rafts—usually comprised of a single sex—can range from as few as 10 individuals to as high as 1,000. This page contains sea otter facts and information, and is part of our Arctic Animals series. They will hang on to a dead otter and continue to rape its corpse. 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