Keep in mind, however, there are 13 species of otters found throughout the world and N. America only has 2! This species is most common to the coastlines of Alaska to Mexico of the North Pacific Ocean where they spend most of their time in the water, but will come ashore to rest and sleep (but will sleep in the water as well). They are the largest member of the weasel family, coming in at 4 feet long! Males can weigh between 49-99lbs and females 31-73lbs. They primarily eat bivalves, sea urchins, octopus, fish, crustaceans and are so intelligent that they have learned to use rocks to crack open their food! An adult can eat 25-30% of its body weight in one day!
They can live to be over 20 years old! A female becomes sexually mature by about 4-5 years when they can give birth to their first pup. When born, they weigh about 3-5lbs. The mothers will stay together in a big group (called a “raft”) with their pups for protection. As seen in this picture, they will float on their backs to allow them to nurse and rest! The pups are also not able to dive deep, because the air between their skin and fur (insulation) keeps them very buoyant until around 4 weeks old when they are better able to swim. They will stay with their mothers for the first 8 months of their lives.
Sea Otters are known to congregate around kelp forests for protection from predators, holding onto for stability, and hunting! Back in the 20th century, this unfortunately made them very easy to find. They were hunted for their unique fur almost to the point of extinction. So in 1911 they were protected under the International Fur Seal Treaty and in 1972 were listed under the Marine Mammal Protection and Endangered Species Act. Today they are currently listed as an endangered species, but many organizations and scientists work to protect their current populations and habitats!
They are also greatly impacted by oil spills. Oil can compromise the ability of the air between their skin and fur to insulate them, making them more prone to freeze in the cold Pacific waters. To truly emphasize the importance of these animals they are what's known as a "keystone species." Their steady diet of sea urchins prevents their over grazing of kelp forests, allowing the kelp to flourish. If sea otter populations were to decrease, that would cause an increase in sea urchin populations, leading to a decrease in the abundance of kelp and the ecological role it plays. This is called a "top-down effect." Everything is connected in this world and every part of it is important.
Originally posted 14 April 2019
(not my pictures)
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