Sea Otter Fun Facts National Geographic

They can stay underwater for up to four minutes. The playful north american river otter is equally at home in the water and on land.

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Sea otters have small front legs and stiff toes for handling food while strong back legs with webbed feet allow for graceful paddling through the water.

Sea otter fun facts national geographic. Sea otters have webbed feet water repellent fur to keep them dry and warm and nostrils and ears that close in the water. It is made up of a waterproof top layer and a short underlayer which can contain as many as one million hairs per square inch. In california research has found that sea otters also enhance seagrass beds and in alaskas glacier bay national park sea otters expansion into the area marked a gradual return of a more diverse ecosystem and an exciting moment in colonization efforts.

Early in the 20th century only 1000 to 2000 animals remained. They can be found along the coasts of the pacific ocean in. Sea otters enhydra lutris are an easily recognized and beloved marine mammal.

They are native to the northern coastlines of the pacific ocean from northern japan to baja mexico. There are 13 species in total ranging from the small clawed otter to the giant otter. It makes its home in a burrow near the waters edge and can thrive in river lake swamp or estuary ecosystems.

The sea otter spends most of its time in the water but in some locations comes ashore to sleep or rest. Otters prefer water bordered by woods and with wetlands such as marshes nearby. Sea otters have built in pockets under their arms.

Though most live in freshwater rivers lakes and wetlands the sea otter and the smaller marine otter are found in the pacific ocean. This makes up for its lack of blubber in the cold pacific water. Flexing their long bodies up and down paddling with their webbed hind feet and using their feet and strong tails to steer river otters are underwater acrobats.

Webbed feet and powerful tails which act like rudders make otters strong swimmers. A group of sea otters resting together is called a raft. Sea otters are the only marine mammal.

Otter abodes feature numerous tunnelsone of which usually allows them to come and go from the water. A sea otters pelt is the thickest of any mammal. Sea otters are one of the few animals that use tools.

Sea otters were hunted for their fur to the point of near extinction. Even a baby sea otter can stay warm on the open ocean but they do need some help from their mothers. Newborn pups cannot sink or dive.

A sea otter settles in for a nap in a patch of kelp. Because the mismatch gives them a clumsy walk on land sea otters rarely stray too far from the sea. 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.

Here are 10 amazing facts about sea otters.