Instead, they have an extremely thick coat of fur to keep warm - no animal has thicker fur. Here are five fun facts you otter know: Sea otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom, with up to one million hairs per square inch of their body! Like their littler stream otter cousins, the sea otter can walk and live on the land yet it isn 't remarkable for sea otters to spend their lives solely in the water. However, this high metabolism requires them to eat a lot of food. Sea otters come from the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, where it is very cold. The sea otter, Enhydra lutris, is about three feet long, with a tail that adds approximately one more foot to its length.In shape it is like a river otter, which is slightly smaller in body but has a longer tail. The sea otter’s feet are webbed which are good for picking up speed in the water. If a sea otter is too cold good eyesight. They have a body length between 55 and 130 cms (21.5 - 51 inches), a tail length between 13 and 33 cms (5 - 13 inches) and they weigh between 21 and 28 kgs (46 - 62 lbs). The sea otter spends most of its time in the water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest. This keeps the cold water away from their skin. Distribution. Their facial vibrissae (whiskers) may reach 10.2 cm (4 in) in length but are usually worn down to about 5 cm (2 in). This shallow-water otter is mainly diurnal, commonly observed sliding on mud banks, foraging in the … 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. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. Fish and Wildlife Service. A sea otter rests on its back with its head, arms and flippers in the air, and looks like two lumps close together. Sea otters are mammals that spend most of their lives in the ocean. Most have sharp claws on their feet except for the sea otter … Sea Otter’s tails are smaller than other otters to reduce surface area. Adults grow to be about 4.5 feet. The sea otter has a lot of insulating fur to keep warm. The sea otter fits all of these characteristics and also is active year round like members in this family. Photo by Lilian Carswell, U.S. Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. Population characteristics in the general environment and population genetics and dynamics of a population at-risk. Most have sharp claws on their feet and all except the sea otter have long, muscular tails. Length and Weight: Adult male sea otters weigh 70 - 90 pounds (32 - 41 kg) with some individuals reaching 100 pounds (45 kg). Sea otters breed throughout the year. All sea otters belong to the genus Enhydra. 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). They are both fissipeds, “split-footed” members of the order Carnivora, and are more closely related to terrestrial carnivores, like … The otter is one of the few mammals that use tools. *Sea Otters unlike other otters capture food with their flexible fingers and grab food with their hands. They have pronounced canine teeth. Sharks and killer whales eat sea otters on occasion. Fur: A sea otter's fur is the thickest and finest of any mammal. Sea otters can spend their entire life in water. Just about everyone that seems them has a comment in that regard to make. One which forms a waterproof outer layer and the under fur is very dense to keep the animal insulated. Females can give birth any time of the year, but most in California have their pup between January and March. 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. Sea Otters. A male river otter appears to approach females indiscriminately until it finds one that is receptive. The fur on the surface of an otter's coat is waterproof. The Sea Otter has a small round face that is absolutely adorable. A sea otter settles in for a nap in a patch of kelp. Sea otters use rocks to remove prey from their shells. Sea otter fur is the densest of any mammal at about 1 million hairs per square inch (We have 100,000 hairs on our entire head). 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. 10. Sea otter teeth are adapted for crushing hard-shelled invertebrates such as clams, urchins, and crabs. Sea otters have a narrow skull with a wide rostrum and long nasal bones. When sea otter populations are healthy, urchin populations are kept in check, and kelp is abundant. Adult males reach an average length of 4.5 feet (1.4 m) with a typical weight between 50 and 100 lbs (23 to 45 kg), while adult females reach an average length of 4 feet (1.2 m) and typically weigh 45 lbs (20 kg). Their most striking anatomical features are the powerful webbed feet used to swim and their seal-like abilities to hold their breath underwater. Adult female sea otters weigh 30 - 60 pounds (14 - 27 kg). Sea Otters have two types of hair. Sea Otter Facts for Kids. Physical Characteristics. Life Cycle and Habitat of Sea Otters. Sea otters are just as full of interesting characteristics as they are full of cuteness! Otters do not have blubber like other marine mammals, such as whales. Sea otters are part of the weasel family. They have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. Sea Otters and Polar Bears: Marine Fissipeds Two Alaska marine mammals are neither pinniped nor cetacean: the polar bear and sea otter. Asian small-clawed otter is found in freshwater wetlands and mangrove swamps, and at higher elevations, it is associated with fast-flowing, rocky streams. They can be up to 100 pounds so they are the heaviest of all species. Sea otters rely on their high metabolism and their plush coat to keep warm. Males may breed with more than one female during the year. This marine mammal can live on land with the same ease as it can live in the water without surfacing for days. Some construct waterslides, for example. The characteristics of this birth leads us to conclude that this means an exhausting physical effort for the father, to finally give birth his offspring. Both animals have webbed feet, though the back feet of the sea otter are enormous by comparison, which is important for its life in the ocean. A sea otter floating on its back with its feet out of the water. It has short tail and webbed-feet with retractable front claws. A sea otter’s tool of choice: typically a rock that can be used as a hammer or anvil to break open hard-shelled prey. The sea otter is the only member of this genus. The sea otter has long whiskers and water-repellent coat that insulates the animal from freezing water. The 13 otter species are members of the Mustelidae, or weasel, family and live in and out of water.For example, river otters reside along streams and waterways in freshwater areas within North America, and endangered sea otter inhabit the coasts along the Northern Pacific Ocean. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. A male approaches a female and attempts to embrace her with his forelegs or … A physical adaptation that a sea otter has it that they use their Another physical adaptation that my animal has is that it has very feet to reduce or maximize heat loss. *There are 13 species of otters. On the other hand, the male rubs his pouch against a solid material, which is usually a rock or a shell, this makes easier the expulsion of hatchlings. The sea otter is known to have one of the thickest, hottest layers of hide in the set of all animals which keeps the sea otter warm in the harsh elements of the North Pacific waters. Newborn sea otters weigh 3 to 5 pounds. The sea otter can usually be found in kelp beds, and looks very much like lumps of kelp. When swimming, look for a body with sleek, dark fur instead of blubber. Otters do not have blubber, instead air is trapped within their fur to keep them warm. Males can weigh up to 70 lbs. Otters are born otters but grow and develop into bigger otters. 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