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The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean.Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg (30 and 100 lb), making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among [3] the smallest marine mammals.
The sea otter may also pluck snails and other organisms from kelp and dig deep into underwater mud for clams. [83] It is the only marine mammal that catches fish with its forepaws rather than with its teeth. [84] Under each foreleg, the sea otter has a loose pouch of skin that extends across the chest.
However, during the winter and in colder environments, fish consumption is significantly lower and the otters use other resources for their food supply. Their diets can consist of amphibians (mainly frogs and pond turtles), bird predation (mainly anserine species), small rodents , and invertebrates such as water beetles, snails, and crayfish.
Sea Otters can swim up to six miles per hour and hold their breaths for up to four minutes. They use these skills to dive as deep as 330 feet beneath the surface. 4.
Otter 841, California's most ornery sea mammal, has returned to waters off Santa Cruz. Authorities warn surfers and swimmers to steer clear of the creature.
Enhydra is a genus of mustelid that contains the sea otter and two extinct relatives. It is the only extant genus of the bunodont otters group, referring to otters with non-blade carnassials with rounded cusps. [1] Sea otters probably diverged from other otters during the Pliocene, approximately 5 mya. [2]
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.
A newborn sea otter found alone on Vargas Island off the coast of British Columbia continues to recover at the Vancouver Aquarium. Named Luna after the crescent-shaped beach where she was first ...