Sea otters eat 25 percent of their body weight each day in sea urchins, crabs, clams, snails and other invertebrates. [141], Sea otters consume over 100 prey species. and females 50–70 lbs. The northern sea otter can be found off the coasts of Alaska and Washington state. [61] Adult females move freely between male territories, where they outnumber adult males by an average of five to one. [42] Its hearing is neither particularly acute nor poor. Sea otters use rocks to crack open their prey as fast as 45 blows in 15 seconds. [21][22], The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammal species, but it is the heaviest mustelid. The team also said there is potential for more wildlife to be impacted due to the slick. There was some contraction from the northern (now Pigeon Point) and southern limits of the sea otter's range during the end of this period, circumstantially related to an increase in lethal shark bites, raising concerns that the population had reached a plateau. They can swim as close as six feet off shore along the Olympic coast. [34] The bones show osteosclerosis, increasing their density to reduce buoyancy. A number of other otter species, while predominantly living in fresh water, are commonly found in marine coastal habitats. Once containing more than half of the world’s sea otters, this population segment, which ranges from Kodiak Island through the western Aleutian Islands, has undergone an overall population decline of at least 55–67 percent since the mid-1980s. [130][131] As of spring 2010, the northern boundary had moved from about Tunitas Creek to a point 2 km southeast of Pigeon Point, and the southern boundary has moved from approximately Coal Oil Point to Gaviota State Park. [59] On land, young sea otters may face attack from bears and coyotes. [16][49][55] Prevention of oil spills and preparation to rescue otters if one happens is a major focus for conservation efforts. Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species. Sea otters currently have stable populations in parts of the Russian east coast, Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and California, with reports of recolonizations in Mexico and Japan. [138] 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. Enhydra lutris lutris (nominate), the Asian sea otter, ranges from the Kuril Islands north of Japan to Russia's Commander Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. When their fur is soaked with oil, it loses its ability to retain air, and the animals can quickly die from hypothermia. [171] Describing the public sympathy for sea otters that developed from media coverage of the event, a U.S. A sea otter has a metabolic rate much higher than most mammals of similar size, and must consume large quantities of food. It can chew and swallow small mussels with their shells, whereas large mussel shells may be twisted apart. Personality. [191], Since the mid-1970s, the beauty and charisma of the species have gained wide appreciation, and the sea otter has become an icon of environmental conservation. First, its use of rocks to dislodge prey and to open shells makes it one of the few mammal species to use tools. [93] Their northern range is limited by ice, as sea otters can survive amidst drift ice but not land-fast ice. [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. [132] Recently, a toxin called microcystin, produced by a type of cyanobacteria (Microcystis), seems to be concentrated in the shellfish the otters eat, poisoning them. The recovery of the sea otter is considered an important success in marine conservation, although populations in the Aleutian Islands and California have recently declined or have plateaued at depressed levels. [176] 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. [1] The sea otter can live its entire life without leaving the water. Sea otters may help mitigate effects of climate change by their cascading trophic influence[151], Reintroduction of sea otters to British Columbia has led to a dramatic improvement in the health of coastal ecosystems,[152] and similar changes have been observed as sea otter populations recovered in the Aleutian and Commander Islands and the Big Sur coast of California[153] However, some kelp forest ecosystems in California have also thrived without sea otters, with sea urchin populations apparently controlled by other factors. [92] Although they are most strongly associated with rocky substrates, sea otters can also live in areas where the sea floor consists primarily of mud, sand, or silt. Increasing sea otter abundance creates competition and conflict with fisheries and native Alaskans, with crabbing and sea urchin hunting the main … [32] The fifth digit on each hind foot is longest, facilitating swimming while on its back, but making walking difficult. [24] Releasing an abalone, which can cling to rock with a force equal to 4,000 times its own body weight, requires multiple dives. Population. [75] The milk from a sea otter's two abdominal nipples is rich in fat and more similar to the milk of other marine mammals than to that of other mustelids. [103] By 2006, though, the Alaska population had fallen to an estimated 73,000 animals. Above: Aleut carving of a sea otter hunt on a whalebone spear. Archaeological evidence indicates that for thousands of years, indigenous peoples have hunted sea otters for food and fur. Adele Ogden wrote in "The California Sea Otter Trade" that sea otter were hunted "from Yezo northeastward past the Kuril Group and Kamchatka to the Aleutian Chain". Increasing sea otter abundance creates competition and conflict with fisheries and native Alaskans, with crabbing and sea urchin hunting the main concerns. [137] However, the population increased markedly from 2015 to 2016, with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) California sea otter survey 3-year average reaching 3,272 in 2016, the first time it exceeded the threshold for delisting from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). [122] By 2005, only 30 sea otters remained at San Nicolas,[123] although they were slowly increasing as they thrived on the abundant prey around the island. It has a period of foraging and eating in the morning, starting about an hour before sunrise, then rests or sleeps in mid-day. [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. Northern Sea Otters are benthic (bottom-dwelling) and eat urchins, abalone, mussels, clam… 6-10 Otter Facts. This male is thought to have originated from a colony in Washington, but disappeared after a coastal storm. Fish and Wildlife Service is the federal agency responsible for maintaining healthy populations of sea otters. [57], The sea otter's use of rocks when hunting and feeding makes it one of the few mammal species to use tools. The northern sea otter is protected from hunting and harassment by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. [53], Sea otters spend much of their time grooming, which consists of cleaning the fur, untangling knots, removing loose fur, rubbing the fur to squeeze out water and introduce air, and blowing air into the fur. [65] Females coo when they are apparently content; males may grunt instead. Sea otters have been found to play a pivotal role in the habitat and marine life that inhabit a kelp forest. [77] Pups born to experienced mothers have the highest survival rates. – Source. Although it can walk on land, the sea otter is capable of living exclusively in the ocean. [69] Gestation appears to vary from four to twelve months, as the species is capable of delayed implantation followed by four months of pregnancy. [104] The sea otter population in Prince William Sound was also hit hard by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which killed thousands of sea otters in 1989. Within Alaska, there are 3 stocks. The final assembly provided 2.426 Gbp of … Hunting records researched by historian Adele Ogden place the westernmost limit of the hunting grounds off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and the easternmost limit off Punta Morro Hermosa about 21.5 miles (34.6 km) south of Punta Eugenia, Baja California's westernmost headland in Mexico. [64], The species exhibits a variety of vocal behaviors. The other three groups are the pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, fur seals and walruses), the sirenians (manatees and dugongs), and the cetaceans (whales, porpoises, and dolphins). [150] A 2007 Californian study demonstrated, in areas where food was relatively scarce, a wider variety of prey was consumed. Southern sea otters, also called California sea otters, live in waters along the California coastline, ranging from San Mateo County in the north to Santa Barbara County in the south. [30] In adults, the head, throat, and chest are lighter in color than the rest of the body. [55] Mating takes place in the water and can be rough, the male biting the female on the muzzle – which often leaves scars on the nose – and sometimes holding her head under water. 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. [170] 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]. 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 to feed themselves. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, E. l. kenyoni, the northern sea otter, is found from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to Oregon and E. l. nereis, the southern sea otter, is native to central and southern California. To eat large sea urchins, which are mostly covered with spines, the sea otter bites through the underside where the spines are shortest, and licks the soft contents out of the urchin's shell. The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur. Pups are 3–5 pounds at birth and light brown in color. When Alaskan sea otters were moved from a nuclear testing site in the Aleutian Islands to the coasts of Washington and Oregon, the two translocated populations had very different results. Sea Otters lick and fluff their newborn for hours, causing their pup’s fur to retain enough air to act as a floatation device. [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. Sea Otters . Previous studies had suggested that Oregon was a transitional zone where the physical and genetic traits of the Southern California and Northern Alaska sea otter populations may have come together. Relatives. ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System, 2016. To keep from drifting out to sea when resting and eating, sea otters may wrap themselves in kelp. [94] Individuals generally occupy a home range a few kilometres long, and remain there year-round. [51], The sea otter is diurnal. Sea otters have the densest hair coat of any mammal, with 800,000 to one million hairs per square inch. 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