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Sea otters are much larger than their river-dwelling cousins. Sea otters in California reach 50 to 70 pounds, while those in Alaska can weigh up to 100 pounds.
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 ...
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.
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]
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Otters are amongst most playful of mammals. They frolic with each other, swim, dive, and slide. Anyone who has watched otters entertaining themselves, either in a zoo or in the wild, know it doesn ...
Here's everything you need to know about this year's Sea Otter Classic
Retrospective estimates of worldwide sea-otter numbers before the bulk exploitation of these mammals range from 150,000 to 300,000. [42] Sea otters are "slow breeders, only one sometimes two pups being born at a time" each year, which makes the population vulnerable in conditions of intensive hunting. [43] [44]