While holding the rock on its chest, the otter pounds the animal on the rock until it breaks or opens. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson wrote: As a playful, photogenic, innocent bystander, the sea otter epitomized the role of victim ... cute and frolicsome sea otters suddenly in distress, oiled, frightened, and dying, in a losing battle with the oil. [55] Mating takes place in the water and can be rough, the male biting the female on the muzzle – which often leaves scars on the nose – and sometimes holding her head under water. 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. The sea otter was formerly sometimes referred to as the "sea beaver",[19] being the marine fur-bearer similar in commercial value to the terrestrial beaver. However, this translocation effort failed and otters soon again disappeared from the state. Lyapunova, R.G. Marine Mammals of the World. [178][179], Some of the sea otter's preferred prey species, particularly abalone, clams, and crabs, are also food sources for humans. [190], Since the mid-1970s, the beauty and charisma of the species have gained wide appreciation, and the sea otter has become an icon of environmental conservation. [70], Birth usually takes place in the water and typically produces a single pup weighing 1.4 to 2.3 kg (3 to 5 lb). Although it can hold its breath for up to five minutes,[31] its dives typically last about one minute and not more than four. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991. [191], Sea otters can do well in captivity, and are featured in over 40 public aquariums and zoos. The European otter has a wide distribution but no overall population estimate is available. If you travel further north to areas like the Alaskan seaboard, you could even find males weighing up to 100 pounds! Otters can be distinguished from mink by their much larger size and broader face. Crazy about roller coasters? First, its use of rocks to dislodge prey and to open shells makes it one of the few mammal species to use tools. [88] Similarly, forced copulation by sea otters involving animals other than Pacific harbor seals has occasionally been reported. [66] Distressed or frightened adults may whistle, hiss, or in extreme circumstances, scream. [93] Their northern range is limited by ice, as sea otters can survive amidst drift ice but not land-fast ice. [155], Sea otters have the thickest fur of any mammal, which makes them a common target for many hunters. [100] By 2013, this population exceeded 1,100 individuals, was increasing at an estimated 12.6% annual rate, and its range included Aristazabal Island, and Milbanke Sound south to Calvert Island. Take a closer look at these encyclopedia books including information about animal habitats, behavior, and scientific classification. So, a 50-pound otter would need to eat about 10-15 pounds of food per day. [61] The largest raft ever seen contained over 2000 sea otters. It could have traveled to the state from either California or Washington. [65] Females coo when they are apparently content; males may grunt instead. FAO, 1993. [124] Sea otters were observed twice in Southern California in 2011, once near Laguna Beach and once at Zuniga Point Jetty, near San Diego. [51], The sea otter is diurnal. [31] The hind feet, which provide most of its propulsion in swimming, are long, broadly flattened, and fully webbed. Sea otters once were abundant along most of the coastal North Pacific Ocean. [3] Kelp forests are extremely productive ecosystems. Female otters in the California region can weigh up to 60 pounds, while males can weigh up to 90 pounds. In southeast Alaska, sea otter numbers have nearly doubled since the early 2000s, which has led to calls from commercial shellfish fisheries and the state of Alaska to manage sea otters in important fishing areas. The extinct sea mink of northeastern North America is another mustelid that had adapted to a marine environment. Can otters use tools? [52] Females with pups appear to be more inclined to feed at night. New York: Random House, 2002. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes that Southern Sea Otter Translocation Program be Terminated", "Service Proposes to End Southern Sea Otter Translocation Program", "Rare sighting of sea otter off Laguna Beach", "U.S. will let otters roam along Southern California coastline", "California's Sea Otter Numbers Continue Slow Climb", "California Sea Otter Numbers Drop Again", "Spring 2010 Mainland California Sea Otter Survey Results", "Another deadly challenge for the sea otter", "Evidence for a Novel Marine Harmful Algal Bloom: Cyanotoxin (Microcystin) Transfer from Land to Sea Otters", Spring 2014 California Sea Otter Census Results, "Otters vs. [174] Necropsies of dead sea otters indicate diseases, particularly Toxoplasma gondii and acanthocephalan parasite infections, are major causes of sea otter mortality in California. National Audubon Society: Guide to Marine Mammals of the World. [140], Sea otters consume over 100 prey species. (20 kg) in weight. [16], During the 20th century, sea otter numbers rebounded in about two-thirds of their historic range, a recovery considered one of the greatest successes in marine conservation. When their fur is soaked with oil, it loses its ability to retain air, and the animals can quickly die from hypothermia. Though it is the largest, it isn’t the heaviest. Hand Painted Design. Adult males average 65 lbs. [47] [166] Prices rose as the species became rare. [55], Along the North American coast south of Alaska, the sea otter's range is discontinuous. Males weigh up to 90 lbs. [184], For many maritime indigenous cultures throughout the North Pacific, especially the Ainu in the Kuril Islands, the Koryaks and Itelmen of Kamchatka, the Aleut in the Aleutian Islands, the Haida of Haida Gwaii[185] and a host of tribes on the Pacific coast of North America, the sea otter has played an important role as a cultural, as well as material, resource. These are the first documented sightings of otters this far south in 30 years. [3] When underwater, its body is long and streamlined, with the short forelimbs pressed closely against the chest. [128], Although the southern sea otter's range has continuously expanded from the remnant population of about 50 individuals in Big Sur since protection in 1911, from 2007 to 2010, the otter population and its range contracted and since 2010 has made little progress. [156] They returned to Siberia, having killed nearly 1,000 sea otters, and were able to command high prices for the pelts. Over $100. Officially Licensed. [13] According to the U.S. Geological Survey and the CDC, northern sea otters off Washington have been infected with the H1N1 flu virus and "may be a newly identified animal host of influenza viruses". [162] Russia was also exploring the far northern Pacific at this time, and sent Vitus Bering to map the Arctic coast and find routes from Siberia to North America. Increasing the size and range of sea otter populations would also reduce the risk of an oil spill wiping out a population. The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammal species, but it is the heaviest mustelid. It can chew and swallow small mussels with their shells, whereas large mussel shells may be twisted apart. [24], Although each adult and independent juvenile forages alone, sea otters tend to rest together in single-sex groups called rafts. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., 1990. [5] Male sea otters usually weigh 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb) and are 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 11 in to 4 ft 11 in) in length, though specimens up to 54 kg (119 lb) have been recorded. [141] In California, they have been noted to ignore Pismo clams smaller than 3 inches (7 cm) across. [92] Although they are most strongly associated with rocky substrates, sea otters can also live in areas where the sea floor consists primarily of mud, sand, or silt. Only 1 available and it's in 20 people's carts. This male is thought to have originated from a colony in Washington, but disappeared after a coastal storm. Cold water is kept completely away from the skin and heat loss is limited. Choose from thousands of designs or create your own today! [24] Releasing an abalone, which can cling to rock with a force equal to 4,000 times its own body weight, requires multiple dives. [167] So few remained, perhaps only 1,000–2,000 individuals in the wild, that many believed the species would become extinct. [182] Although human divers harvest red sea urchins both for food and to protect the kelp, sea otters hunt more sea urchin species and are more consistently effective in controlling these populations. Under $5. [122] Then, in response to lawsuits filed by the Santa Barbara-based Environmental Defense Center and the Otter Project, on 19 December 2012 the USFWS declared that the "no otter zone" experiment was a failure, and will protect the otters re-colonizing the coast south of Point Conception as threatened species. [96] The founder of Fort Ross, Ivan Kuskov, finding otters scarce on his second voyage to Bodega Bay in 1812, sent a party of Aleuts to San Francisco Bay, where they met another Russian party and an American party, and caught 1,160 sea otters in three months. – but our river systems still require extensive habitat management to restore them to a healthy level that can sustain fish stocks and wildlife. Sea otter, (Enhydra lutris), rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. [132][133] A record number of sea otter carcasses were found on California's coastline in 2010, with increased shark attacks an increasing component of the mortality. [147] The diet of local populations also changes over time, as sea otters can significantly deplete populations of highly preferred prey such as large sea urchins, and prey availability is also affected by other factors such as fishing by humans. It is unique among the mustelids in not making dens or burrows, in having no functional anal scent glands,[4] and in being able to live its entire life without leaving the water. [9] The modern sea otter evolved initially in northern Hokkaidō and Russia, and then spread east to the Aleutian Islands, mainland Alaska, and down the North American coast. [188] These links have been associated with the many human-like behavioral features of the sea otter, including apparent playfulness, strong mother-pup bonds and tool use, yielding to ready anthropomorphism. In this phase, a rapid increase in population can be attributed to an adequate population size, and an abundance of resources. [134] Great white sharks do not consume relatively fat-poor sea otters but shark-bitten carcasses have increased from 8% in the 1980s to 15% in the 1990s and to 30% in 2010 and 2011. [84] A captive male sired offspring at age 19. Sea otters eat about 20-30% of their body weight each day. To pry an abalone off its rock, it hammers the abalone shell using a large stone, with observed rates of 45 blows in 15 seconds. [96], In about two-thirds of its former range, the species is at varying levels of recovery, with high population densities in some areas and threatened populations in others. Male sea otters usually weigh 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb) and are 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 11 in to 4 ft 11 in) in length, though specimens up to 54 kg (119 lb) have been recorded. Some, like the sea otter or giant river otter , can grow to more than 75 pounds. It grows from 4.9 to 5.9 feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters) long. [86] Sea otters in the wild often develop worn teeth, which may account for their apparently shorter lifespans. Download free teacher guides to keep students learning in a hands-on way: includes vocabulary, classroom activities, goals and objectives. [164] In 1812, the Russians founded an agricultural settlement at what is now Fort Ross in northern California, as their southern headquarters. Tool use is an unusual behavioral trait seen only in sea otters and a few other types of animals. [27] The fur consists of long, waterproof guard hairs and short underfur; the guard hairs keep the dense underfur layer dry. Females are smaller, weighing 14 to 33 kg (31 to 73 lb) and measuring 1.0 to 1.4 m (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 7 in) in length. It is not known if this colony, which numbered about 300 animals in 2004, was founded by transplanted otters or was a remnant population that had gone undetected. and 3 to 14 kg (7-31 lbs.). [63] Males that do not have territories tend to congregate in large, male-only groups,[63] and swim through female areas when searching for a mate. Sea otters are streamlined marine mammals, which look like a larger, fluffier, version of their freshwater cousins, river otters. The sea otter has a very buoyant body. The sea otter can hold its breath up to five minutes underwater. [72] Mothers have been observed to lick and fluff a newborn for hours; after grooming, the pup's fur retains so much air, the pup floats like a cork and cannot dive. [120] Another group of twenty swam 74 miles (119 km) north to San Miguel Island, where they were captured and removed. Male giant otters average 26 to 34 kg (57-75 lbs. [129] In response to recovery efforts, the population climbed steadily from the mid-20th century through the early 2000s, then remained relatively flat from 2005 to 2014 at just under 3,000. [183] The health of the kelp forest ecosystem is significant in nurturing populations of fish, including commercially important fish species. It has a period of foraging and eating in the morning, starting about an hour before sunrise, then rests or sleeps in mid-day. To the surprise of biologists, the majority of the San Nicolas sea otters swam back to the mainland. [54] When eating, sea otters roll in the water frequently, apparently to wash food scraps from their fur. It is 40–65 inches (100–160 cm) long and weighs They typically use … The scans also provided estimates of bone density. [29] The coloration of the pelage is usually deep brown with silver-gray speckles, but it can range from yellowish or grayish brown to almost black. [152] The role of sea otters in maintaining kelp forests has been observed to be more important in areas of open coast than in more protected bays and estuaries. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, E. l. kenyoni, the northern sea otter, is found from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to Oregon and E. l. nereis, the southern sea otter, is native to central and southern California. [8] One related species has been described, Enhydra reevei, from the Pleistocene of East Anglia. Vol. [186], Among the Ainu, the otter is portrayed as an occasional messenger between humans and the creator. [30] In adults, the head, throat, and chest are lighter in color than the rest of the body. In 1973, the population in Alaska was estimated at between 100,000 and 125,000 animals. Fur. Material. The fur trade that began in the 1740s reduced the sea otter's numbers to an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 members in 13 colonies. [91] They are found most often in areas with protection from the most severe ocean winds, such as rocky coastlines, thick kelp forests, and barrier reefs. Rodents (of which the beaver is one) are not closely related to otters, which are carnivorans. 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