The Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is the smallest marine mammal in North America, and occupies the chilly coastal seas of the central and northern Pacific Ocean. Sea otters average around 1.2 meters in length, and typically weigh 25 kilograms (Environment Canada, 2011). The otters rely on their dense and soft fur coats for warmth, allowing them to survive frigid temperatures. Their fur consists of an outer layer of guard hairs, which are extremely fine and dense (100,000/cm2). Oils from the skin glands also help to increase the water repellency of the fur (Environment Canada, 2011). For the sea otter, it is important to keep their hair clean, otherwise it could become matted, which would reduce its effectiveness and possibly lead to hypothermia. During grooming, the hairs are cleaned and aligned, and oil is blown through the fur and is captured in tiny water repellant bubbles (Environment Canada, 2011).
There are 12 species of otters worldwide, and all have streamline bodies and live exclusively in aquatic environments. They possess a variety of adaptations which include hind flippers for locomotion, flattened premolars for crushing hard shelled organisms, and large kidneys to process large amounts of ingested sea salt (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2014). Sea otter pups are identified by light brown or yellowish fur, which will be replaced within a few months of life.
The sea otter has little to no body fat, meaning that to survive in the chilly aquatic environment, they must rely on their thick fur and maintain an extremely high metabolic rate. This rate is 2.4 to 3.2 times higher than that of terrestrial mammals of approximately the same size (Environment Canada, 2011). To continue this internal heat production, the sea otter must consume 22%-33% of their body weight every day (about 8 kilograms).
The sea otter will mainly eat shellfish and sea urchins, but can also adapt to whatever food is easily available. The sea otter can dive to depths of up to 36 meters and for as long as up to one minute to find food. They therefore must inhabit relatively shallow waters to maintain this lifestyle. To eat their food, otters will usually roll onto their backs and place their meals on their stomachs. They may use rocks to help crack open the shells of sea urchins or other prey (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2014).
The sea otters used to be abundant along virtually the entire west coast; however the maritime fur trade in the 18th and 19th centuries changed all that. The otters were hunted for their pelts, and a total of around 55,000 otter pelts were taken from North America. By 1850, sea otters in Canada were considered commercially extinct. However, 89 sea otters were reintroduced to the coast of BC from 1969-1972. This effort was considered successful, as the population grew, and sea otters are once again part of the ecosystem. After being considered extirpated, the sea otter went from an endanger animal, to threatened, and as of 2004, they were upgraded to of special concern. Now, although sea otters are no longer an endangered species, they still are of special concern because of their susceptibility to oil spills and the catastrophic effects that an oil spill would have on the population (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2014).
There are 12 species of otters worldwide, and all have streamline bodies and live exclusively in aquatic environments. They possess a variety of adaptations which include hind flippers for locomotion, flattened premolars for crushing hard shelled organisms, and large kidneys to process large amounts of ingested sea salt (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2014). Sea otter pups are identified by light brown or yellowish fur, which will be replaced within a few months of life.
The sea otter has little to no body fat, meaning that to survive in the chilly aquatic environment, they must rely on their thick fur and maintain an extremely high metabolic rate. This rate is 2.4 to 3.2 times higher than that of terrestrial mammals of approximately the same size (Environment Canada, 2011). To continue this internal heat production, the sea otter must consume 22%-33% of their body weight every day (about 8 kilograms).
The sea otter will mainly eat shellfish and sea urchins, but can also adapt to whatever food is easily available. The sea otter can dive to depths of up to 36 meters and for as long as up to one minute to find food. They therefore must inhabit relatively shallow waters to maintain this lifestyle. To eat their food, otters will usually roll onto their backs and place their meals on their stomachs. They may use rocks to help crack open the shells of sea urchins or other prey (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2014).
The sea otters used to be abundant along virtually the entire west coast; however the maritime fur trade in the 18th and 19th centuries changed all that. The otters were hunted for their pelts, and a total of around 55,000 otter pelts were taken from North America. By 1850, sea otters in Canada were considered commercially extinct. However, 89 sea otters were reintroduced to the coast of BC from 1969-1972. This effort was considered successful, as the population grew, and sea otters are once again part of the ecosystem. After being considered extirpated, the sea otter went from an endanger animal, to threatened, and as of 2004, they were upgraded to of special concern. Now, although sea otters are no longer an endangered species, they still are of special concern because of their susceptibility to oil spills and the catastrophic effects that an oil spill would have on the population (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2014).