It also may use a flat rock to break open the shells of crustaceans and mollusks. [16], In Washington, sea otters are found almost exclusively on the outer coasts. Otter were also taken from San Benito Island, Cedros Island, and Isla Natividad in the Bay. [28] As the ability of the guard hairs to repel water depends on utmost cleanliness, the sea otter has the ability to reach and groom the fur on any part of its body, taking advantage of its loose skin and an unusually supple skeleton. The pattern of disappearances is consistent with a rise in predation, but there has been no direct evidence of orcas preying on sea otters to any significant extent. [162] Parker, S. [154] Parasitic infections of Sarcocystis neurona are also associated with human activity. [98], Alaska is the heartland of the sea otter's range. [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. [31] The hind feet, which provide most of its propulsion in swimming, are long, broadly flattened, and fully webbed. [102] Before the 19th century, around 20,000 to 25,000 sea otters lived near the Kuril Islands, with more near Kamchatka and the Commander Islands. Only 1 available and it's in 20 people's carts. [93] Their northern range is limited by ice, as sea otters can survive amidst drift ice but not land-fast ice. [183] The health of the kelp forest ecosystem is significant in nurturing populations of fish, including commercially important fish species. Protected since 1911, Alaska sea otters have made a comeback. During her years at the Aquarium, she's put her maternal instincts to work — she's reared more pups than any other active surrogate mother on exhibit. Come with us on an unforgettable journey behind the scenes during a SeaWorld or Busch Gardens Camp. [24] It is the only marine animal capable of lifting and turning over rocks, which it often does with its front paws when searching for prey. On an adult animal, there are an estimated 650,000 hairs per square inch. Sea otters also have thick, brown fur that insulates them against the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. This allows space for competing species and increases species diversity.[152]. [135], For southern sea otters to be considered for removal from threatened species listing, the U.S. Rodents (of which the beaver is one) are not closely related to otters, which are carnivorans. Sea urchins graze on the lower stems of kelp, causing the kelp to drift away and die. The northern sea otters can weigh as much as 100 pounds. Size: Mink are about the same size as ferrets, which makes them significantly smaller than otters, with a length of 30-45cm and a tail of 15-25cm on top. [178][179], Some of the sea otter's preferred prey species, particularly abalone, clams, and crabs, are also food sources for humans. 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. Versions of a widespread Aleut legend tell of lovers or despairing women who plunge into the sea and become otters. Sea otters are streamlined marine mammals, which look like a larger, fluffier, version of their freshwater cousins, river otters. Vol. It has the greatest body length of any species in the mustelid family, although the sea ottermay be heavier. [6] Genetic analysis indicates the sea otter and its closest extant relatives, which include the African speckle-throated otter, European otter, African clawless otter and oriental small-clawed otter, shared an ancestor approximately 5 million years ago. The sea otter inhabits nearshore environments, where it dives to the sea floor to forage. Many Aleuts were either murdered by the Russians or died from diseases the hunters had introduced. [52] Foraging resumes for a few hours in the afternoon and subsides before sunset, and a third foraging period may occur around midnight. They keep the population of certain benthic (sea floor) herbivores, particularly sea urchins, in check. 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. [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. Adult males weight between 22 and 45 kilograms and measure from 1. [26], Under each foreleg, the sea otter has a loose pouch of skin that extends across the chest. The males of this subspecies weigh around 65 pounds while females are 45 pounds in weight. Young predators may kill an otter and not eat it. [47] [33] The tail is fairly short, thick, slightly flattened, and muscular. This pouch also holds a rock, unique to the otter, that is used to break open shellfish and clams. Surprisingly, though, the diets of individuals were more specialized in these areas than in areas where food was plentiful. [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. Adult southern sea otters are approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) in length. The Sierra Club Handbook of Seals and Sirenians. [citation needed], The historic population of California sea otters was estimated at 16,000 before the fur trade decimated the population, leading to their assumed extinction. SeaWorld, Inc. 1997. [160] By the 1760s, the Russians had reached Alaska. Sea otters may spend as much as 48% of the daylight hours grooming their fur. The European otter has a wide distribution but no overall population estimate is available. [137] However, ESA delisting seems unlikely due to a precipitous population decline recorded in the spring 2017 USGS sea otter survey count, from the 2016 high of 3,615 individuals to 2,688, a loss of 25% of the California sea otter population. Males can exceed 45 kg (99 lb) and 148 cm (57 in.) In this zone, only San Nicolas Island was designated as sea otter habitat, and sea otters found elsewhere in the area were supposed to be captured and relocated. The sea otter has a very buoyant body. [123] The spring 2016 count at San Nicolas Island was 104 sea otters, continuing a 5-year positive trend of over 12% per year. 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. [152], Sea otters affect rocky ecosystems that are dominated by mussel beds by removing mussels from rocks. Articles depicting sea otters were considered to have magical properties. [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". The size of the California (or southern) sea otters is about 4 feet. [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. Their measurements vary depending on the sex. [69] In California, sea otters usually breed every year, about twice as often as those in Alaska. [157] In 1775 at Okhotsk, sea otter pelts were worth 50–80 rubles as opposed to 2.5 rubles for sable. The sea otter has a metabolic rate two or three times that of comparatively sized terrestrial mammals. Males weigh up to 90 lbs. [156] They returned to Siberia, having killed nearly 1,000 sea otters, and were able to command high prices for the pelts. Jefferson, T.J. Leatherwood, S. and M.A. [167] So few remained, perhaps only 1,000–2,000 individuals in the wild, that many believed the species would become extinct. All these parts working together make the sea otter one furry fantastic creature. [38] The sea otter's body is highly buoyant because of its large lung capacity – about 2.5 times greater than that of similar-sized land mammals[39] – and the air trapped in its fur. Sea otters must eat approximately 25% of their weight in food each day to support their high metabolism. San Diego. [55] The sea otter may also pluck snails and other organisms from kelp and dig deep into underwater mud for clams. Hear animal sounds for animals like anteaters, dolphins, frogs and more. Adult sea otters may eat as much as 9 kg (20 lbs.) (ed.). Northern sea otters are larger, up to 70 pounds (32 kg) for females and 100 pounds (45 kg) for males. Adult males average 65 lbs. [193] In 2007, a YouTube video of two sea otters holding paws drew 1.5 million viewers in two weeks, and had over 20 million views as of January 2015[update]. [96] "Yezo" refers to the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan. Sea otters eat urchins, abalone, mussels, clams, crabs, snails and about 40 other marine species. [27] The fur consists of long, waterproof guard hairs and short underfur; the guard hairs keep the dense underfur layer dry. In these cultures, many of which have strongly animist traditions full of legends and stories in which many aspects of the natural world are associated with spirits, the sea otter was considered particularly kin to humans. 4 Sea otter have loose skin, very little body fat, and no scent glands. North Pacific areas that do not have sea otters often turn into urchin barrens, with abundant sea urchins and no kelp forest. They have 7 cervical, 14 thoracic, 6 lumbar, 3 sacral and 20-21 caudal vertebrae. [55] It is the only marine mammal that catches fish with its forepaws rather than with its teeth. The people of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment are truly and deeply driven to inspire on behalf of, to celebrate and connect with, and to care for the natural world we all share. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) determined that the population should exceed 3,090 for three consecutive years. [46] The teeth and bones are sometimes stained purple as a result of ingesting sea urchins. (, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (. As word spread, people from all over Europe and North America began to arrive in the Pacific Northwest to trade for sea otter furs. [89], Sea otters live in coastal waters 15 to 23 metres (50 to 75 ft) deep,[90] and usually stay within a kilometre (⅔ mi) of the shore. [187] The sea otter is a recurring figure in Ainu folklore. So, a 50-pound otter would need to eat about 10-15 pounds of food per day. Nowak, Ronald M. [16], The small geographic ranges of the sea otter populations in California, Washington, and British Columbia mean a single major spill could be catastrophic for that state or province. [77] Pups born to experienced mothers have the highest survival rates. Officially Licensed. [71] Pup mortality is high, particularly during an individual's first winter – by one estimate, only 25% of pups survive their first year. Sea otters have been credited with contributing to the kelp harvesting industry via their well-known role in controlling sea urchin populations; kelp is used in the production of diverse food and pharmaceutical products. [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. [161], Other nations joined in the hunt in the south. Three subspecies of the sea otter are recognized with distinct geographical distributions. [87], There are several documented cases in which male sea otters have forcibly copulated with juvenile harbor seals, sometimes resulting in death. [141] Where prey such as sea urchins, clams, and abalone are present in a range of sizes, sea otters tend to select larger items over smaller ones of similar type. While holding the rock on its chest, the otter pounds the animal on the rock until it breaks or opens. [88] Similarly, forced copulation by sea otters involving animals other than Pacific harbor seals has occasionally been reported. [159] In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook reached Vancouver Island and bought sea otter furs from the First Nations people. They come in many sizes. If the sea otter pelts brought back by Bering's survivors had been sold at Kyakhta prices they would have paid for one tenth the cost of Bering's expedition. Archaeological evidence indicates that for thousands of years, indigenous peoples have hunted sea otters for food and fur. [119], In the late 1980s, the USFWS relocated about 140 southern sea otters to San Nicolas Island in southern California, in the hope of establishing a reserve population should the mainland be struck by an oil spill. [37] At rest, all four limbs can be folded onto the torso to conserve heat, whereas on particularly hot days, the hind feet may be held underwater for cooling. [173] The round, expressive face and soft, furry body of the sea otter are depicted in a wide variety of souvenirs, postcards, clothing, and stuffed toys. The sea otter spends most of its time in the water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest. [24], Although each adult and independent juvenile forages alone, sea otters tend to rest together in single-sex groups called rafts. [44] Seals and sea otters are the only carnivores with two pairs of lower incisor teeth rather than three;[45] the adult dental formula is 3.1.3.12.1.3.2. Some, like the sea otter or giant river otter , can grow to more than 75 pounds. in (150,000 per sq cm). [79] Much has been written about the level of devotion of sea otter mothers for their pups – a mother gives her infant almost constant attention, cradling it on her chest away from the cold water [80] and attentively grooming its fur. In the 1980s, the area was home to an estimated 55,000 to 100,000 sea otters, but the population fell to around 6,000 animals by 2000. [141][142] Its prey ranges in size from tiny limpets and crabs to giant octopuses. The work involved taking CT scans of otters to measure the size and shape of the baculum in vivo. Sea otters once were abundant along most of the coastal North Pacific Ocean. of food each day. [162] When Cook's ship later stopped at a Chinese port, the pelts rapidly sold at high prices, and were soon known as "soft gold". The Marine otter lack of a thick skin of fat, unlike other marine mammals. Reeves, R. R., Stewart, B.S., Clapman, P.J., and J.A. [7], Fossil evidence indicates the Enhydra lineage became isolated in the North Pacific approximately 2 million years ago, giving rise to the now-extinct Enhydra macrodonta and the modern sea otter, Enhydra lutris. [10] In comparison to cetaceans, sirenians, and pinnipeds, which entered the water approximately 50, 40, and 20 million years ago, respectively, the sea otter is a relative newcomer to a marine existence. [168] However, the IUCN still lists the sea otter as an endangered species, and describes the significant threats to sea otters as oil pollution, predation by orcas, poaching, and conflicts with fisheries – sea otters can drown if entangled in fishing gear. [189] The beginning of commercial exploitation had a great impact on the human, as well as animal, populations  the Ainu and Aleuts have been displaced or their numbers are dwindling, while the coastal tribes of North America, where the otter is in any case greatly depleted, no longer rely as intimately on sea mammals for survival. [175] The Toxoplasma gondii parasite, which is often fatal to sea otters, is carried by wild and domestic cats and may be transmitted by domestic cat droppings flushed into the ocean via sewage systems. 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. Are you wild about whales? [55][181] Shellfish declines have also occurred in many parts of the North American Pacific coast that do not have sea otters, and conservationists sometimes note the existence of large concentrations of shellfish on the coast is a recent development resulting from the fur trade's near-extirpation of the sea otter. Lyapunova, R.G. If a sea otter swims into an oil spill, its fur becomes soiled and loses its insulating qualities, allowing water to penetrate to its skin, causing hypothermia and ultimately, death. The largest river otter is the North American river otter, ranging from 100 to 153 cm (39-60 in.). New York: Random House, 2002. [81] When foraging, she leaves her pup floating on the water, sometimes wrapped in kelp to keep it from floating away;[82] if the pup is not sleeping, it cries loudly until she returns. $15 to $25. Tool use is an unusual behavioral trait seen only in sea otters and a few other types of animals. Marine Mammals of the World. [25], Unlike most other marine mammals, the sea otter has no blubber and relies on its exceptionally thick fur to keep warm. It can chew and swallow small mussels with their shells, whereas large mussel shells may be twisted apart. [11] In some respects, though, the sea otter is more fully adapted to water than pinnipeds, which must haul out on land or ice to give birth. [3] At birth, the eyes are open, ten teeth are visible, and the pup has a thick coat of baby fur. [169] Poaching was a serious concern in the Russian Far East immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991; however, it has declined significantly with stricter law enforcement and better economic conditions.[102]. [115], Sea otters were once numerous in San Francisco Bay. [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. [36] When at the surface, it usually floats on its back and moves by sculling its feet and tail from side to side. [98] Growth has slowed slightly, suggesting the numbers are reaching carrying capacity. The front paws are short with retractable claws, with tough pads on the palms that enable gripping slippery prey. The large hind feet are broad and flipperlike. [172] The most widely accepted, but still controversial, hypothesis is that killer whales have been eating the otters. [141] In California, they have been noted to ignore Pismo clams smaller than 3 inches (7 cm) across. 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. Male giant otters average 26 to 34 kg (57-75 lbs. According to the scientific resources, the total population size of European otters in Belarus is around 12, 000 individuals and in Sweden - 500-1000 individuals. [175][176] Although disease has clearly contributed to the deaths of many of California's sea otters, it is not known why the California population is apparently more affected by disease than populations in other areas. The Nuu-chah-nulth, Haida, and other First Nations of coastal British Columbia used the warm and luxurious pelts as chiefs' regalia. Sea otters have a high metabolic rate (that is, they use a high amount of energy) that is 2-3 times that of other mammals their size. [51], The sea otter is diurnal. Of these, about 19,000 are at the Kurils, 2,000 to 3,500 at Kamchatka and another 5,000 to 5,500 at the Commander Islands. The 13 species range in adult size from 0.6 to 1.8 m (2.0 to 5.9 ft) in length and 1 to 45 kg (2.2 to 99.2 lb) in weight. At birth, the weight of a pup is 3 to 5 pounds. [124] If populations continued to grow and ESA delisting occurred, southern sea otters would still be fully protected by state regulations and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which set higher thresholds for protection, at approximately 8,400 individuals. Main Characteristics Of The Sea Otters Anatomy. This too happened in the sea otter population, as they experienced an average rate of change of over 19% per year from 1977 to 2004. Increasing the size and range of sea otter populations would also reduce the risk of an oil spill wiping out a population. The greatest difference is in their bulk, as the largest male mink only weigh a little over 1.5kg, while otters average 7-12kg and can be even heavier. In most of its range, it is a keystone species, controlling sea urchin populations which would otherwise inflict extensive damage to kelp forest ecosystems. [20] The Asian sea otter is the largest subspecies and has a slightly wider skull and shorter nasal bones than both other subspecies. In 1970 and 1971, a total of 95 sea otters were transplanted from Amchitka Island, Alaska to the Southern Oregon coast. Browse our extensive collection of zoological career infobooks including animal training, animal rescue and rehabilitation and zoo careers. This is due to all the air trapped in its fur, and also to its large lung capacity, two and a half times greater than other animals its size. Fur colour is various shades of brown with lighter underparts. [172], Many facets of the interaction between sea otters and the human economy are not as immediately felt. The Asian small-clawed otter is the smallest of all otters… [16][145] Contrary to popular depictions, sea otters rarely eat starfish, and any kelp that is consumed apparently passes through the sea otter's system undigested. [105][106] In 1989, a separate colony was discovered in the central British Columbia coast. [120] The plan that authorized the translocation program had predicted the carrying capacity would be reached within five to 10 years. [126] However, after engaging in a period of public commentary in 2005, the Fish and Wildlife Service failed to release a formal decision on the issue. Its foraging and eating habits are noteworthy in several respects. [13], The first scientific description of the sea otter is contained in the field notes of Georg Steller from 1751, and the species was described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. [95], The sea otter population is thought to have once been 150,000 to 300,000,[19] stretching in an arc across the North Pacific from northern Japan to the central Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. After the years of the Great Hunt, the population in these areas, currently part of Russia, was only 750. Grizmek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. To the surprise of biologists, the majority of the San Nicolas sea otters swam back to the mainland. An otter may remove an abalone by repeatedly hitting it with a rock. [1] The hunting of sea otters is no longer legal except for limited harvests by indigenous peoples in the United States. Paper. [59] The liver, kidneys, and lungs of sea otters also become damaged after they inhale oil or ingest it when grooming. Leading mammalian predators of this species include orcas and sea lions, and bald eagles may grab pups from the surface of the water. [101] In 2017 the US Geological Survey found a 3% drop in the sea otter population of the California coast. The sea otter's dark brown fur is the finest and densest of any animal fur. [165] When Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867, the Alaska population had recovered to over 100,000, but Americans resumed hunting and quickly extirpated the sea otter again. 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