Sea otter pups are born with a buoyant fur that does not allow them to sink. Southern sea otters wallpaper. Unlike most other marine mammals, they have little subcutaneous fat, relying instead on their clean, dense, water resistant fur for insulation against the cold. Average dive duration for California sea otters is about 60 seconds. Once at the surface, they often eat by placing the food on their stomachs, and then placing a rock on their stomachs and then smashing the prey on the rock to open it and get at the flesh inside. california sea otters divide themselves in diet guilds. Sea otters are one of the only mammals that are been known to use tools to obtain and eat their prey. Southern Sea Otter Enhydra lutris nereis : Fun Facts • Sea otters do not have blubber to keep warm, instead they have very dense fur (up to one million hairs per square inch). Fun Facts About Sea Otters. Fun Facts for Kids. Before the fur trade of the 18th and 19th centuries, sea otters ranged along the North Pacific Rim from Hokkaido, Japan to Baja California, Mexico. Fun Facts. The sea otter is a generalist predator, known to consume more than 150 different prey species. Nope. Sea otters also have thick, brown fur that insulates them against the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. The population index exceeded 3,090 for the first time in 2016. They have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. The sea otter can live its entire life without leaving the water. Ventura, CA 93003, Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation 3.31mb PDF, Final Incidental Harassment Authorization for Waterfront Repairs at U.S. Coast Guard Station Monterey, Request for Incidental Harassment Authorization for Waterfront Repairs at U.S. Coast Guard Station Monterey, Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization, Final Incidental Harassment Authorization, Marine Mammals; Incidental Take During Specified Activities; Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization, Incidental Harassment Authorization Request and Monitoring Plan, Comments Received on Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization, Big Sur Monterey Sea Otter Study Draft Report PDF 8.5mb, Featured Story - Slowly Swimming Towards Recovery, California's Sea Otter Numbers Holding Steady, Termination of the Southern Sea Otter Translocation Program; Final Rule, Summary of comments received on final SEIS and Proposed Rule, Letter to Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy Donald Schregardus FSEIS Comments [871 kb], Final Supplemental EIS on the Translocation of Southern Sea Otters - Volume 1 [5.59mb], Final Supplemental EIS on the Translocation of Southern Sea Otters - Volume 2 [18.74mb], Final Recovery Plan for the Southern Sea Otter [1.8mb)], Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office Sign up for free. They are mostly found in temperate or cold coastal waters with plentiful forests of giant kelp beds. Pup rearing and provisioning impose high energetic costs on females, requiring them to increase foraging effort during this period and leaving them highly susceptible to stressors they may encounter when they come into estrous after weaning, such as infections and aggression by males. The sea otter is covered in dense fur that consists of two layers. Sea otters are known to wrap their pups and themselves in kelp to keep from drifting out to sea. Southern Sea Otter. For one of the smallest marine mammals on Earth (yet the largest member of the weasel family), the sea otter has racked up quite a few superlatives: 10. Historically, southern sea otters were present in coastal marine habitats from northern California to Baja California in Mexico. Their teeth are strong enough to crunch open a clam shell or bite through a sea urchin's spines. Interesting Facts About the Sea Otter. Pups are born year round. Unlike other marine mammals, sea otters do not have a thick layer of blubber and rely upon their water-resistant fur for insulation. • To maintain its body temperature, the sea otter eats 25% to 35% of its body weight in single day. Like other members of this family, they have very thick fur. Therefore, sea otters are crucial to maintaining kelp forest levels, which provide cover and food for many marine animals. Their fur actually consists of two layers, an undercoat and longer guard hairs. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. Sea otters spend approximately 9 to 12 hours foraging each day. Education. Depending on factors such as habitat, sex, reproductive status, and per-capita prey availability, obtaining this quantity of food requires that sea otters spend 20-50 percent of the day foraging. Fact1: Sea otters have incredibly fast metabolisms; a 60-pound adult sea otter eats at least 15 pounds of food (25% of its body weight) each and every day. Sea Otters have a polygynous mating system and show highly significant sexual dimorphism. Southern sea otter #530 with her male pup. Predators and Prey of the Sea Otter The sea otter's diet includes about 40 marine species, including urchins, crabs, clams, abalones, mussels, and snails. Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) images and facts - this gallery boasts a stunning display of stock photos showing the unique character of the southern sea otter in countless different positions. A quick glance at facts about California's southern sea otter population.-- Created using PowToon -- Free sign up at http://www.powtoon.com/ -- Create animated… Sea Otters do not migrate due to their coat of fur. 5. • To maintain its body temperature, the sea otter eats 25% to 35% of its body weight in single day. A sea otter's diet consists mainly of slow-moving fishes and marine invertebrates including crabs, sea urchins, abalones, clams, mussels, and snails. As a consequence of their threatened status, southern sea otters are also recognized as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Ventura, California 93003, Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation, Big Sur Monterey Sea Otter Study Draft Report, Letter to Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy Donald Schregardus FSEIS Comments, Final Supplemental EIS on the Translocation of Southern Sea Otters - Volume 1, Final Supplemental EIS on the Translocation of Southern Sea Otters - Volume 2, Final Recovery Plan for the Southern Sea Otter. They eat 40 plus different types of species such as clams, urchins, and snails. Although called a "river otter", it inhabits both marine and freshwater environments. Keystone species are organisms that have large-scale community effects disproportionate to their abundance. US Fish and Wildlife Service 5. Sea otters use rocks to remove prey from their shells. Today southern sea otters have reclaimed about 13 percent of their historic range: the mainland coastline from San Mateo County to Santa Barbara County, California, and San Nicolas Island, Ventura County (as a result of translocation efforts initiated in 1987). Sea otters are usually dark brown, often with lighter guard h… They need a lot of food so that they stay healthy. iStock Once thought to be gone from the area completely, southern sea otters—known as California sea otters—have been making a … (1.8-2.3 kg). Seagrasses also provide important benefits, such as nursery habitat for many other species, shoreline protection, and carbon sequestration. Average weight of an adult female California sea otter is about 50 lbs. 1. Sea Otters sporadically go onto shore to rest and sometimes in the winter go on sandy, cobble, snow covered beaches, small icebergs or when population density is high. Sea otter pup fur is known as a lanugo. A sea otter relies on its fur to keep warm because it doesn't have an insulating layer of blubber as other marine mammals do. The Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) also goes by the name California Sea Otter and has the distinction of being one the heaviest members of the weasel family, yet one of the smallest marine mammals. These forests are one of the most dynamic and richest marine ecosystems in the world, possessing high density of biomass and greater productivity. Southern sea otters can live to approximately 15 years for males and 16 years for females. For southern sea otters to be considered for delisting under the Endangered Species Act, the population index would have to exceed 3,090 for three consecutive years, according to the Southern Sea Otter Recovery Plan. 2. Under state law, southern sea otters are "fully protected" mammals. A quick glance at facts about California's southern sea otter population. Mothers nurse their young for up to eight months. OCEANWALKERS Sea Otters live in coastal waters & estuaries. Paw-some. Under state law, southern sea otters are "fully protected" mammals. In fact, at 850,000 to one million hairs per square inch, they have the thickest fur of any mammal. Sea otters are related to skunks and weasels. There are three subspecies: the northern (Alaska) sea otter Enhydralutris kenyoni; the Asian sea otter E. l. lutris; and the southern sea otter E. l. neresis. Females typically give birth to a single pup, with care provided solely by the pup’s mother for the approximately 6 months until weaning. The sea otter can live its entire life without leaving the water. Fact2: Weighing between 30 and 100 pounds, the sea otter is the world’s smallest species of marine mammal. It must eat 20% to 25% of its body weight every day to maintain normal body temperature, so it will spend much of the day foraging. Sea Otter Facts California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. Behavior. Sea otters are unique in the otter family as the only species to give birth in the water. Sea otter counts are conducted annually by the U.S. Geological Survey. The southern river otter (Lontra provocax) is a species of otter that lives in Chile and Argentina.Although called a "river otter", it inhabits both marine and freshwater environments. Did you know sea otters have built in pouches of loose skin under their forearms to stash extra prey when diving? Images of them eating, swimming, and even interacting with humans can be found here. A small population of sea otters lives at S… Have you ever seen an otter with a scarred or bloody nose? Sea otters are equally active both night and day. A lanugo is a very soft, downy hair that develops in humans as well as animals. Diet Sea otters eat fish and marine invertebrates like crabs, urchins, sea stars , … Large percentage of southern sea otter mortality is due to infectious diseases, many of which are known to have anthropogenic causes. Northern sea otters are larger, up to 70 pounds (32 kg) for females and 100 pounds (45 kg) for males. Mating and breeding does not take place in the Sea Otter’s life until later on. Sea otters do not migrate and hardly ever travel far unless they are in search for food. Because of its smart brain, sea otter uses its hand and take a rock to dislodge the invertebrate animal from its shell before the sea otter eats it. Sea otters are members of the weasel or mustelid family. Sea otters, the smallest and most recently evolved of all marine mammals, are in the family Mustelidae that includes weasels, ferrets, badgers, skunks, freshwater and sea otters, and minks. For southern sea otters to be considered for removal from threatened species listing, the population index would have to exceed 3,090 for three consecutive years, according to the threshold established under the Southern Sea Otter Recovery Plan by the U.S. Newborn pups cannot sink nor can they dive. There are approximately 3,200 along the central California coast today, ranging from San Mateo County south to Santa Barbara County and San Nicolas Island. Average dive depth for California sea otters is about 20 feet. Otters generally prefer to live in water, and have the capability to dive up to 330 feet in search for food. There is one species of sea otter and three subspecies, the California or Southern sea otter is found off the central coast of California, the Northern sea otter is found in the waters off Alaska and Canada, and the common or Asian sea otter is found along coastlines of Japan and Russia. Is there a pupping season? The life of a southern sea otter Sea otters spend most of their time near the shore. (29.5 kg) and adult females average 45 lbs. The sea otter's dark brown fur is the finest and densest of any animal fur. The primary factors limiting population growth and range expansion of southern sea otters in recent years have been density-dependent resource limitation (where the number of sea otters is in equilibrium with available prey) in much of the central portion of the mainland range and white shark attacks in the northern and southern portions of the mainland range. At the moment Powtoon presentations are unable to play on devices that don't support Flash. The Southern Sea Otter is found in California. Southern sea otters are among the smallest of marine mammals, with adult females and males averaging 46 and 64 pounds, respectively. The southern sea otter (the species found at SeaWorld San Diego) is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. See more ideas about otter love, otters, sea otter. Reduced range and population size, vulnerability to oil spills, and oil spill risk from coastal tanker traffic were the primary reasons for listing. Sea otters play a vital role in the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystem as a keystone species The Southern sea otter is native to the coast of California. Otters use tools like rocks and sometimes soda cans. They are usually seen in rocky marine habitats where there is a high abundance of kelp canopy and typically in water depths about 20 m. Kelp canopy is an important habitat component used for resting and foraging. 1. Southern Sea Otter Enhydra lutris nereis : Fun Facts • Sea otters do not have blubber to keep warm, instead they have very dense fur (up to one million hairs per square inch). 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!). Sea otter moms typically only give birth to 1 pup. Sea otters are related to skunks and weasels. The southern sea otters are carnivores (which means they eat only meat). The annual southern sea otter census is a cooperative effort between USGS-Western Ecological Research … Most Sea Otter "raft" in kelp beds with other otters. They also feast on critters of the ocean like sea urchins, crabs, squid, octopuses, and tiny or puny fish. Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis), also known as California sea otters, were listed as threatened in 1977 under the Endangered Species Act. 2. 9. Back to the top. 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. The Southern sea otter is native to the coast of California. The existence of sea otter is helping the ecosystem to be balance. Newborn pups cannot sink nor can they dive. The southern sea otter measures up to 4 feet (1.2 m) in length; females weigh up to 50 pounds (23 kg) and males up to 70 pounds (32 kg). These stressors include biotoxins produced during harmful algal or cyanobacterial blooms, disease-causing pathogens such as the protozoal parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis neurona, and acanthocephalan parasites. Sea otters reach maximum lengths of 4.9 feet (1.5 m) and weights of 100 pounds (45 kg). Shallow water no more than 100 feet deep is the otter’s preferred habitat, because it means less time spent diving for food. Kelp forests provide numerous direct and indirect benefits, including habitat for hundreds of invertebrate and fish species, reductions in coastal erosion, and carbon storage that can moderate climate change. Currently the southern sea otter population is estimated at just above 3,000 animals. 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. Sea otters are part of the weasel family. Sea otters eat about 25% of their weight every day, and is arguably the number one cause in sea otter deaths, when they cannot forage enough food… Hunting for food is one of the most important daily activities for the sea otter. The northern sea otter (Enhyrda lutris kenyoni), which lives from the Aleutian Islands off Alaska, down to Washington state, and The southern sea otter (Enhyrda lutris nereis), which lives in southern California. Southern sea otter consumes many types of prey including sea urchins, snails, clams, abalone, mussels, crabs, scallops, fish, barnacles, octopus, worms, and squid, which it captures with its clawed paws, not its jaws. The sea otter's dark brown fur is the finest and densest of any animal fur. Average length of an adult California sea otter is about 4 ft. A group of sea otters resting together is called a raft. Other threats to southern sea otters include entrapment or entanglement in fishing gear, oil spills, and climate change. Sea otters don’t have blubber or fat to keep them warm like other marine mammals. Although they hunt on the sea floor, they return to the surface to eat. Sea otters have a profound impact on the coastal habitats which is why they are rightly known as keystone species. Sea otters primarily rely on their sense of touch (whiskers and forepaws) in murky waters to locate prey. An extensive review of the translocation program was completed in 2012, resulting in termination of the program. Sea otters can spend their entire life in water. Sea otters most closely resembling today’s southern sea otters occupied the southernmost portion of that range—from at least as far north as Oregon to the species’ southern limit at Punta Abreojos, Baja California. The southern river otter is listed as endangered, due to illegal hunting, water pollution, and habitat loss. 1. For one of the smallest marine mammals on Earth (yet the largest member of the weasel family), the sea otter has racked up quite a few superlatives: 10. With few exceptions, their prey consist of slow moving benthic invertebrates and shellfish. Sea otter moms typically nurse and care for their pups for about 6 months before weaning them. The Sea Otter is a marine mammal that has 3 subspecies: Southern Sea Otter, Northern Sea Otter, and Russian Sea Otter. Both are named after characters in John Steinbeck novels. The latest census and stranding information is available at www.werc.usgs.gov/seaottercount. The animals that they prey on devour kelp forests. White shark bites are now the leading cause of sea otter mortality in California. Sea Otter Facts Sea otters are the smallest marine mammal. The body condition of sea otters in areas of the range with low per-capita prey availability strongly influences their susceptibility to additional stressors. Humans have 100,000 pieces in total on their head, while otters have up to one million hairs per square inch. Here are some viewing tips to help you enjoy watching sea otters and other marine wildlife in a safe and responsible way. The Furriest of Fur Coats – Sea otters have the densest fur of any animal. 'S spines moms typically only give birth to a single pup, adult! On top of the Pacific Ocean in North American and Asia take in! 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