Sea Otter

1
Sea Otter

• The Northern Sea Otter-Enhydra Lutris Kenyoni
• Alice Barkhouse

2
Hunting and Diet

• Sea otters have been found to consume over 100
  different kinds of prey, including sea urchins,
  crabs, clams, and octopuses.
• The sea otter hunts in short dives. They both
  hunt and live in the sea. Their dives typically
  last about one minute and to about 4 minutes,
  they can hold their breath for a total of 5
  minutes though.
• It is the only marine animal capable of lifting
  and turning over boulders, which it often does
  with its front paws when searching for prey. It
  also carries stones up with it to crack the
  shells of animals such as crabs.
• The sea otter may also pluck snails and other
  organisms from kelp and dig deep into underwater
  mud for clams. It is the only marine mammal that
  catches fish with its forepaws rather than with
  its teeth. (From Wikipedia)
• The Sea otter is a kind of weasel, it is related
  to the Mink and River Otter.

3
Habitat and Predators

• Sea otters live in coastal waters 15 to 23 meters
  deep, and usually stay within 1 km of the shore.
  They are found most often in areas with
  protection from the most severe ocean winds, such
  as rocky coastlines, thick kelp forests, and
  barrier reefs.
• Although Sea Otters are now protected, around the
  1700s a large scale hunt of Otters happened
  Their pelts were very valuable and well sought
  after back then.
• The total sea otter population was thought to
  have been 150,000 to 300,000. It is estimated
  that approximately one million sea otters were
  killed between 1741 and 1911.
• Their Natural predators are Sea Lions and Orcas.

4
Reproduction

• Sea otters are polygynous that is, males have
  multiple female partners. Females come into
  estrus or heat in late winter or early spring,
  and then again in late summer or early autumn.
  Bonding does occur between the sexes during the
  female's heat, which lasts three to five days.
  During these periods males defend their
  territories there is very rarely actual fighting
  involved, most fights are solved with posturing.
  (Taken from Wikipedia)
• They give birth year round, although most happen
  between May and June. Gestation is about four to
  twelve months, as otters are capable of delayed
  implantation followed by four months of pregnancy
• When pups are born, their mother grooms them so
  much that they trap air in their fur, they have
  special oil glands, that they pups float easily
  and have to be wrapped with kelp while the mother
  hunts to stop them from floating away.

5
Differences

• The only difference between male and female sea
  otters is size, male sea otters weigh 22 to 45 kg
  and are 1.2 to 1.5 m in length and females are
  smaller, weighing 14 to 33 kg and measuring 1 to
  1.4 m in length.
• In the wild, sea otters live to a maximum age of
  23 years, and about 10 to 11 years on average.

6
Major Causes

• Otters have very fine, thick fur to keep out the
  cold and water. They also have special glands
  that produce water proof oil. After any dive they
  must groom themselves to spread that oil. This is
  a great adaptation for living in the sea and, for
  living in any water system. So what happens when
  the fur becomes covered with another oil? It
  ruins their fur, it removes the natural oil, and
  it makes it harder to swim so they cant make it
  away from the oil. The water filled fur weighs
  them down and they will probably drown or die of
  hypothermia if left like that for too long .
• Oil spills are the largest cause of otter deaths
  now, however before the hunting laws we hunted
  the otter. We might have wiped them out if we had
  continued.

7
What is Being Done

• When the otter was named an endangered species,
  it became illegal to hunt them. This has allowed
  the low otter population to flourish once more.
• The threat that is still a problem are Oil
  Spills. Oil not only destroys the otters food
  sources, if they get it in their fur it gets rid
  of the natural oil on the otters fur, the thing
  that water proofs it They might die of lack of
  food or of the cold if they are caught in one.

8
Home Sweet Home

• There are 3 types of sea otters, the Northern,
  Southern and Common Otter.
• All together they live all over Alaska, Asia and
  the states around and including California.

9
My Opinion

• I think that we are going in the right direction
  to save this animal. We are no longer allowed to
  hunt it but we are still affecting this adorable
  creature.The population seems to be increasing,
  which is a good sign, and they usually only have
  to put up with their natural predators.
• The otter supports its ecosystem, kelp beds, by
  eating the sea urchins that would destroy it.
  Without these animals the ecosystem would
  collapse. Kelp Beds provide food and shelter for
  many species of animals.
• All in all I would say that the future for the
  Northern Sea Otter looks bright!

10
Bibliography
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_otter
http//oceanlink.island.net/oinfo/otterpage/otter.
html
http//www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/marine/s
eaotter.php