North American river otters (L. canadensis) are still taken as part of the commercial fur trade, but the primary threats to others are the destruction of wetland habitats and pollution. Sea otters catch the same shellfish, sea urchins, crabs, clams, and abalone, that indigenous peoples in Alaska and Canada need to eat. Their most striking anatomical features are the powerful webbed feet used to swim, and their seal-like abilities holding breath underwater. ... As a sexually dimorphic organism, male sea otters are larger in size than the females of this species. Just about everyone that seems them has a comment in that regard to make. The Sea Otter has a small round face that is absolutely adorable. Sea otters have no insulating fat, but trap air under their coasts as insulation. ). Sea Otter Physical Description. Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs. Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris), largest and most marine weasel, lives exclusively in shallow seas of the N Pacific, formerly from Japan to California.Ruthless hunting for their valuable pelts almost exterminated sea otters before 1900. They have 850,000 to 1,000,000 hairs per square inch consisting of two layers, an undercoat and longer guard hairs. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hissing or growling warns predators to back off. This information shows that the sea otter … Otter Physical Characteristics. Sea otters eat 25 percent of their body weight in food every day. Sea Otter – Enhydra lutris Description. Otters will whistle or whine when upset or frustrated. Description. They belong to the weasel family. This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about sea otters across 25 in-depth pages. A baby sea otter will cry when it is left alone. Alaskan sea otters are slightly larger than Californian otters. Instead they use them to crush and to grind the food. They have long, narrow bodies, with long tails and short legs. Sea otters are brown in fur color that often lightens with age . 7. Otters make several different sounds to communicate. 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. Sea otters’ diet includes sea urchins, crabs, mussels, and clams, which they’re known to … Sea otters are just as full of interesting characteristics as they are full of cuteness! Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp or hold hands when sleeping to prevent drifting. Since the 1990s, the southwestern stock of Alaskan sea otters has experienced a dramatic (up to 70% population) decline, most likely due to increased predation by killer whales. The body of the sea otter is relatively long and heavy, making progress on land clumsy and slow. Description. Unlike most other animals, otters are playful even as adults. and 3 to 14 kg (7-31 lbs.). Description. They have a thick fur coat that keeps them warm even in freezing water. People affect sea otter populations through direct shootings and trapping sea otters in fishing nets. DESCRIPTION: Sea otters use their rear flippers to move and their flat, muscular tails to steer. The Sea Otter ranks as one of the smallest species of marine mammals. Sea Otter Worksheets. Despite its common name, the North American river otter is equally comfortable in either coastal marine or freshwater habitats. Males weigh 22-45 kg and are 1.2-1.5 m in length.Females are slightly smaller, weighing 14-33 kg and measuring 1-1.4 m in length. They are also known as Common otters, North American River Otters or Canadian Otters, and their scientific name is. Sea otters are found in two areas : The Pacific coasts of Russia and Alaska, and along the central California coast. Adult male California sea otters average 29 kg in mass, while females average 20 kg. Sea otters, Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758), are the largest member of the Family Mustelidae (70 species of river otters, skunks, weasels, badgers, etc.) They have very thick fur – near about 250,000 to one million hair per square inch. Otter definition is - any of various largely aquatic carnivorous mammals (such as genus Lutra or Enhydra) of the weasel family that usually have webbed and clawed feet and dark brown fur. Sea Otter is the heaviest of the otters, reaching a maximum weight of 45 kg. Many sea otters live near rocky sea bottoms and shorelines, where marine communities are extremely diverse. Lacking blubber, otters have amazingly thick fur to assist in retaining heat. It has short tail and webbed-feet with retractable front claws. Otters are a species that belongs to the mustelids, meaning they’re related to ferrets, badgers, and minks. The muzzle has a set of thick vibrissae. However, it also represents the heaviest known type of mustelid. The largest river otter is the North American river otter, ranging from 100 to 153 cm (39-60 in. The species displays a small degree of sexual dimorphism, with males being larger than females. Floating on its back, it opens mollusks by smashing them on a stone balanced on its chest. In a study done in Alaska, it was found that the most common age range was pups (0-1 years of age) as shown in figure 3. The sea otter has long whiskers and water-repellent coat that insulates the animal from freezing water. The sea otter also hammers rocks against strongly gripping abalone shells to pry them off of rocks and feed on their tasty insides. Otters are mammals that live in and around water. The sea otter will generally live between 10 and 20 years, and maintain a relatively constant age structure. Adult male Alaskan otters weigh 27 to 39 kg, while females weigh 16 to 27 kg. Photo by U.S. Fur: A sea otter's fur is the thickest and finest of any mammal. The Alaskan sea otter population numbered more than 100,000 in the 1980s. Individuals can weigh as much as 45 kg. A sea otter’s range mass can be from 14-45 kg (30.84-99.12 lbs) and range in length from 1-1.5 meters (3.28-4.92 ft) (Allerga, Rath and Gunderson, 2012). Despite what many people believe, otters are not related to beavers. It makes a shrill "wee" sound like a sea gull. Most have sharp claws on their feet and all except the sea otter have long, muscular tails. 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.Sea otters are the only fully aquatic form of otters, but they share features with the others such as thick fur and short ears. 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