Sea Otters
scientific name
Enhydra
lutris
size
Sea otters
can grow to be 6 feet long, but average 3 to 5 feet. Males weigh
60 to 70 pounds; females are 35 to 64 pounds. The length of the body
and head combined is usually 3 to 4 feet, while the tail is approximately
22 to 33 inches long.
characteristics
Sea otters
are black to dark brown except a grayish or creamy head, throat and
chest. As they age, sea otters can become golden in color.
Sea otters
have semi-retractable claws, agile paws, and hind feet webbed and
flattened into broad flippers. Unlike most marine mammals, sea
otters do not have a subcutaneous layer of fat, but rely on air trapped
in their dense fur for warmth. They are the only carnivores with
four incisor teeth in the lower jaw.
behavior
Sea otters
are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. At night, they
sleep in kelp beds anchored by wrapping kelp around body to keep
from drifting. Females are social with no strict hierarchy. Males
are territorial especially during breeding season.
Sea otters
are not migratory but may take long trips of 20 to 250 miles any
time of year.
Sea otters
are playful and intelligent. They use rocks (or other hard objects)
to pry or break open urchins, abalone or other shell
fish.
reproduction/life span
Male sea
otters mate with females in their territory, breeding opportunistically
based on female cycles. Gestation lasts about 6.5 months. Sea otters
typically have one pup; twins are rare. Females give birth about
every one to two years. The northern sea otter population comes to
shore for birth; southern sea otters may give birth at sea or onshore.
Pups weigh 3 to 5 pounds at birth. They are born with light fur with
guard hairs to keep them afloat; the light fur is replaced by sleek
dark fur at about 3 months. Pups are born with open eyes and a full
set of milk teeth. They are parent dependent for around 11 months
(varies based on geographical location). Sea otters reach sexual
maturity at 3 to 5 years and live about 10 to 20 years in the wild,
with an average of 15. In captivity, they can live 15 to 20 years.
diet
In the
wild, sea otters eat a wide variety of benthic invertebrates like
clams, crabs, urchins, snails, octopus, mussels and sea stars. They
may eat fish. Individuals seem to have food preferences they learn
from their mothers. In the zoo they eat clams, crabs, shrimp, urchins,
mussels, squid and a variety of fish.
habitat/range
There
are three subspecies with subtle differences. The Russian sea otter
lives in the Kuril Islands and on the eastern coast of the Kamchatka
Peninsula north to the Commander Islands. The northern sea otter
(Alaskan) inhabits the Aleutian Islands to Prince William Sound and
southward to Washington state. The California sea otter (southern)
inhabits the central California coast with a small population on
San Nicolas Island. Historically, southern sea otters ranged from
northern California to Baja California, and during different historical
times northern and southern otters once inhabited the Oregon Coast.
status
Sea otters
are classified as a threatened species in the United States. Sea
otters are listed under CITES (Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) App II. The southern
sea otter range is slowly expanding, while a portion of the northern
sea otter populations are decreasing.
note
The Oregon
Zoo has Southern Sea Otters • historically Oregon was probably
where the Northern and Southern subspecies came together.
Sea Otter Conservation
Restoring
Oregon's Sea Otters!
oregon
zoo exhibit
Steller Cove
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