sea otter fact sheet

Sign Up. Their paws have retractable claws and palms with tough pads. Tags: africa, fact sheet, freshwater, fur, lake, mammal, mustelid, otter, river, san diego zoo, sdzg, spot-necked otter SDZG Library Mission: to provide outstanding information resources and services to advance knowledge in animal and plant care and conservation, inspire passion for nature, ignite personal responsibility, and strengthen our organization’s capacity to save species worldwide. They live in wet areas such as coastlines, oceans and marshes. In addition, they also have good senses of smell and hearing. Sea otters are born swimmers with long, sleek, streamlined bodies with webbed feet. Pups are born well-developed with their eyes open, a set of teeth and thick fur. The sea otter is an almost exclusively marine animal, spending little time ashore. Resources created by teaching professionals. Sea Otter Facts & Information Sea otters are members of the weasel family (Mustelidae). 97% of our funds go towards program and support services, with only 3% going towards fundraising. Without sea otters, sea urchins can overpopulate the sea floor and devour the kelp forests that provide cover and food for many other marine animals. A unique feature of this otter species is that they can delay implantation for about four to twelve months. They are part of the mustelidae family of animals, which includes weasels, badgers and minks. Today, almost 90% of the sea otter population lives in the coastal waters of Alaska. Older sea otters sometimes get silvery … They are most known for floating on their backs with a stone on their chest. They can swim on their backs easily but walk awkwardly on land. Four of the main otter species include the European otter, the North American river otter, the Sea otter, and the Giant otter. Average weight of an adult female California sea otter is about 50 lbs. Over the past 45 years, sea otters have experienced a 50% population decline. The large, blunt head, throat and chest are all creamy white. They have webbed hind legs, which look like flippers. When diving, their nostrils and ears close and their whiskers, or vibrissae, help them to feel their way around. This worksheet can be edited by Premium members using the free Google Slides online software. Otter species range in size from the smallest Oriental small-clawed otter at 0.6 m (2 ft) and 1 kg (2.2 lb). They use their paws to locate prey. Unlike some marine mammals, sea otters rely on thick fur instead of blubber to keep warm in the icy waters of the Pacific Ocean. h�bbd``b`: Weight: Average 8.2 kg … Their tails are long and flat and their hind feet are webbed. Click to download the free sample version, This site uses cookies to improve your experience. They are native to the northern coastlines of the Pacific Ocean, from northern Japan to Baja, Mexico. Sign Me Up, Editing resources is available exclusively for KidsKonnect Premium members.To edit this worksheet, click the button below to signup (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start editing! Facts about Sea Otter, Giant Otter, European Otter, African Otter and River Otter. To find out more, see our, Sea Otter Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com, Average Lifespan in the Wild: Up to 23 years. The size of the California (or southern) sea otters is about 4 feet. Sea otters are the heaviest of the 13 otter species (giant otters are the longest). 151 0 obj <> endobj Recognition: Brown fur, often pale on underside; long slender body; small ears; long thick tail; webbed feet; swims very low in the water, head and back barely showing. This download is exclusively for KidsKonnect Premium members!To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download! Family:The Sea Otter is the largest member of the weasel family (the Mustelidae). Sea Otters live in coastal waters & estuaries. 0 Built with all over the world Copyright © 1999–2021This site uses cookies to improve your experience. The River Otter Ecology Project is a registered 501 (c)(3) EIN #45-4997526 non-profit organization dedicated to the welfare of river otters and our watershed. Sea otters are suited to their marine environment by adaptations of dentition, skeletal structure, and pelage. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards. ?n�2�_$�`{�`I�*X��9Z"̖KŚ߻IS�\�ް .���#y|LD�&L�DM�R�لi�`B��J�Z�Z�k���@4v4�9���B��eJf�ɘR9:�L�2�j�� ?_,�e[�A8�����sUF�7o��`������~�ٮ�_̘�>�ﮜ������n����E���Mů�+��S�cѕ]ŗ%���T��3&�?T��$�٪�oY��٦���ͧ�X٘L��ܒ��\׫�o��uղ��O�~�.�o�vY�!+����W��5��n[u��FT}�QI�ϻrU/g���b /�j�˒~���n��n�忺5(�� Their bodies are insulated by a thick fur coat and not by blubber as in other marine mammals. Among the dangers they face today are oil spills, shark attacks, conflict with humans, competition for food and habitat degradation. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. They will use rocks to open food like clams, sea urchins and crabs. Females can breed twice a year. There are rare instances of twins, but only one pup usually survives. Not ready to purchase a subscription? $[AD�`�$�V��� V����9@�� $$�3�D�%H�"�(f`bdP�)"�3}0 �4- Fact Sheet – Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program 4. These aquatic members of the weasel family are often seen floating on their backs. When hunting for prey, they use whiskers to sense vibrations in the water. Habitat: Waterways of all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Sea otters are a marine mammal that live off the coasts of the northern and eastern north pacific ocean. Most sea otters live in the offshore forests of the Russian and Alaskan Pacific coasts. They have flattened and rounded molars used for crushing and chewing food. The otter can stay submerged for up to 4 minutes and dive to depths of 60 feet. Sea Otter - Fact Sheet. They live mainly on land that is very close to bodies of water. 181 0 obj <>stream Marine Mammals Management biologists work to keep the Alaska sea otter population and its habitats healthy and ensure there will be opportunities for a variety of human uses, including subsistence hunting and wildlife viewing. • Adult males can grow up to five feet in length and weigh up to 90 pounds in Alaska and occasionally reach 80 pounds in California. Among the northern population, female sea otters give birth between May and June, while southern populations peak between January and March. See the fact file below for more information on the sea otters or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Sea Otter worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment. Otters are adorable creatures that live both on land and in the water. A sea otter’s pelt is the thickest of any mammal. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are an easily recognized and beloved marine mammal. Sea Otter Fact Sheet Sea otters are a marine mammal that mostly live in the North Pacific Ocean. Their fur is the densest of any animal with about 100,000 hairs per square centimeter. endstream endobj startxref Sea otters are part of the weasel family. h��mo�6�� In addition, they teach their pups how to swim, look for and retrieve food. #�� Their fur has two layers: the outer guard hairs are around 1 ⅓ inches long, and the layer underneath the guard hair remains dry. All otters are expert hunters that eat fish, crustaceans, and other critters. They are often mistaken for beavers though. They have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. Revised March 2013. Due to their thick, soft pelts, sea otters were hunted extensively before the international ban was enforced. They are the heaviest member of the weasel family, Even though they are the second smallest marine mammal. After 12 weeks of constantly grooming and feeding a pup, it is considered a juvenile. Because the mismatch gives them a clumsy walk on land, sea otters rarely stray too far from the sea. They are carnivores, meaning they eat meat such as clams, mussels, abalone, urchins, snails, crabs, other marine species and small mammals. They use their flat, webbed hind feet to swim and have been known to swim up to 5mph. Through to the large Giant otter and Sea otters who can reach 1.8 m (5.9 ft) and 45 kg (99.2 lb). SEA OTTERS RETURN TO DELIGHT AQUARIUM VISITORS ON EXHIBIT, PLAY VITAL ROLES BEHIND THE SCENES IN … This feature also makes them buoyant. Warm air trapped in a sea otter’s fur keeps them warm in chilly waters.When otters dive, they seal their ears and nose.The word otter comes from Old English and Indo European root words that were also used to create the English word for water.Otters have the densest fur in the world. POPULATION The Sea Otter is a marine mammal that has 3 subspecies: Southern Sea Otter, Northern Sea Otter, National Geographic: North American River Otter 3. If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source. In the wild the otters are under threat … Download the fact sheet. Sea otters mostly eat invertebrates; invertebrates are animals without spines. Sea otters have an ingenious method to open shellfish. Did you know… Otters are carnivores? The males of this subspecies weigh around 65 pounds while females are 45 pounds in weight. Sea otters, like other of its species, are very social animals. The northern sea otters can weigh as much as 100 pounds. A thick layer of underfur covered by black, pale brown or silver guard hairs traps air for insulation. Species Factsheet: The Otter (Lutra lutra) Quick Facts. Sea otters are the smallest marine mammal and are most closely related to river otters. The Sea otter, Enhydra lutris, is the smallest marine mammal in the world. POPULATION The S ea Otter is a marine mammal that has 3 subspecies: Southern Sea Otter, Northern Sea Otter, California sea otters spend almost all of their time in the water, while Alaska sea otters often sleep, groom, and nurse their young on land. Moreover, they are the only marine mammal that can flip over boulders found on the seafloor. An otter is one of the few species that use tools. When underwater, their nostrils and ears close. The gestation period for female sea otters is around 4 to 5 month. Wild sea otters typically have a lifespan between 15 and 20 years. Sea otters can survive their whole life without leaving the water. qK�eb޷�rsW7��C�̚��g����&��"���?��Cj͋��u��5 ���w�C{c�}�bxQJ�\ Sea otters have forepaws, which can rub, twist and pull with great strength. Sea otters are one of the smallest marine mammals in the world yet the largest member of the weasel family. Sign Me Up. We receive no government funding, and depend solely on financial support from our friends. At four years of age, female sea otters reach sexual maturity, males follow after a month. CDFW is temporarily closing its high public use areas, including visitor centers and license counters, to help slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).Before heading to a CDFW facility, contact the regional headquarters office to determine if that facility is open. They have furry bodies, whiskered faces, and a propensity to lay on their backs and float on the water, a behavior that humans perceive as evidence of fun-loving. These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. Sea otters are found almost everywhere in the world. Size: About 60-80cm; tail about 32-56cm. endstream endobj 152 0 obj <>/Metadata 20 0 R/PageLayout/OneColumn/Pages 149 0 R/StructTreeRoot 37 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 153 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Type/Page>> endobj 154 0 obj <>stream Sea otters sleep, rest, and usually swim by paddling with their hind flippers on their backs. The sea otter is an almost exclusively marine animal, spending little time ashore. They live in groups called a raft. 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