Some individual sea otters prefer to come ashore to sleep though, possibly as protection against killer whales. 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. Did you know… Otters are carnivores? Weighs up to 100lb. 192 0 obj <> endobj 237 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<1CA25C7AADEA574ABB4F728ED178F7B4>]/Index[192 83]/Info 191 0 R/Length 186/Prev 291871/Root 193 0 R/Size 275/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Usually, a single baby (called a pup) is produced following 4 to 5 months of pregnancy. Stories are told of how sea otters nuzzled hunters who were about to club them to death, and of others who on seeing hunters' guns trained on them, turned their backs and covered their eyes with their forepaws. Their nickname is the “sea beaver.” ��Ō{�3�@-fY��,��b[��PfV. They are also very vocal and communicate use a variety of calls. Sea otters are … By the beginning of the last century, sea otters were so rare that pelts could fetch $1000 each. Sea otters rarely venture more than one mile off shore. If it were not for government protection it almost certainly would have become extinct. Its fur is thick and glossy and ranges in colour from black to dark brown, with some white tipped hairs. Up to 10% of a sea otter's life is occupied with the cleaning and grooming of its fur. Size: up to 5 feet long, including a 1 foot long tail. Feeding takes place mainly in the early morning and evening, with sea urchins, crabs, abalones and other shellfish being the main items on the menu, although fish and octopus are also eaten occasionally. h�b``P```z�����i�103��96̉rw�Ĥ�jlf��h��h �"Kd+��b���'����1�2�bNd�`neb`Z��_�%e�.uS߉!�����1K�&�_FAfM��L�N3�qMf�a�a�Z����,���uQ��/��a������ �5`�ɾ̞"YL��*0�D�F�١`�`�DfjI�B?���4�"�W�� �@lFu�f���V Rv%��`��`��HN��b��l�]j �;��,~�����`�&X�X�s0��/�;3r�&�JCĎ�$���``��?84����i�]� o?! Now the population has risen to over 130,000, but sea otters still only occupy one-fifth of their original range, with colonies in California, western Alaska, and the Commander and Kurile Islands north of Japan. In the wild the otters are … Its ears are almost hidden in its fur and its eyes are small. A sea otter’s pelt is the thickest of any mammal. 7P�b��;jR�pڀ���W��t�� Sea otters are propelled through the water using their long, well-defined flipper-like hind feet. These are used to break open the shells of crabs, sea urchins and other shellfish. Females can bear pups only every other year, so sea otters are slow breeders. By 1911 other governments had also brought in legal protection for sea otters. An otter is one of the few species that use tools. Species Factsheet: The Otter (Lutra lutra) Quick Facts. Its ears are almost hidden in its fur and its eyes are small. Mothers will continue to float on their backs, nurse their young and teach them to swim and hunt. It wedges a rock between its chest and the “armpit” of a foreleg and pounds shells against it to open them up. Lifespan: 10-15 years on average, but some have lived to be 20. Please donate £1 to help YPTE to continue its work of inspiring young people to look after our world. The large, blunt head, throat and chest are all creamy white. Large crabs are eaten piecemeal, one leg at a time, while the crab runs about on the sea otter's chest. Currently there are less than 3,000 Sea Otters in Sea otters have to eat one-quarter of their own body weight (up to 25lbs) per day in food to survive. Pups cry when they are hungry, females coo affectionately to their pups and their mates and adults of both sexes scream when in distress. 7. Gestation: 8-9 months. By this time the sea otter population was down to about 1,000 worldwide.