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Sea otter conservation began in the early 20th century, when the sea otter was nearly extinct due to large-scale commercial hunting. The sea otter was once abundant in a wide arc across the North Pacific ocean, from northern Japan to Alaska to Mexico. By 1911, hunting for the animal's luxurious fur had reduced the sea otter population to fewer ...
The hunting of sea otters is no longer legal except for limited harvests by indigenous peoples in the United States. [186] 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. [110]
Furthermore, sea otters will use large stones to pry an abalone off its rock; they will hammer the abalone shell with observed rates of 45 blows in 15 seconds or 180 rpm, and do it in two or three dives. Releasing an abalone, which can cling to rock with a force equal to 4,000 times its own body weight, requires multiple dives by the otter. [102]
Santa Cruz's sea otter, 841, has given birth to a wee pup — suggesting that her erratic behavior could have been hormonally driven. After terrorizing surfers, California's angriest otter finds ...
"When a male sea otter finds a receptive female, the two engage in playful and sometimes aggressive behavior. The male often grasps the female's nose in his teeth, causing it to become swollen and ...
A sea otter using a rock to break open a shell. The sea otter, Enhydra lutris, is a member of the Mustelidae that is fully aquatic. Sea otters are the smallest of the marine mammals, but they are also the most dexterous. Sea otters are known for their ability to use stones as anvils or hammers to facilitate access to hard-to-reach prey items.
Sea otters were once hunted for their fur, which is what lead to their dramatic decline, and they are now listed as a threatened species. It is unclear what drives 841's surfboard-aggressive behavior.
Most have sharp claws on their feet and all except the sea otter have long, muscular tails. The 13 species range in adult size from 0.6 to 1.8 m (2.0 to 5.9 ft) in length and 1 to 45 kg (2.2 to 99.2 lb) in weight. The Asian small-clawed otter is the smallest otter species and the giant otter and sea otter are the largest.