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| Ecology and Behavior |
Sea otters are found in shallow water habitats of less then 50 meters. They are usually found in areas with rocky bottom and kelp forests. They use the kelp to hang onto while resting.
Males and females are separate except for when itÂ’s time to mate. Gestation is 4-6 months and the pups only weigh 4-5 pounds when born. The pups are able to feed relatively early, but cannot dive until they are about four weeks old. Sexual maturity is reached around the age of 4-6 years and otters can live up to 23 years in the wild. |
| Feeding and Prey |
Sea otters use tools to help them eat. They will often use a rock to help break open the shells of the clams, crabs, urchins, and abalone that make up their diet. They often float on their backs and use their body as a table to work on while they eat. Otters are active durig the day, and forage in a series of relatively short dives. Otters eat up to 20-25% of their body weight each day! |
| Threats and Status |
Otters were extensively hunted by the Russians in the 1600s and 1700s, and the Americans and Japanese as well until the early 1900s. When hunting was finally banned in 1911, less then 2000 otters existed and many thought the otter would go extinct. A remnant population was found along California and today the total population is estimated to be 108,000 animals. Threats today include loss of habitat, disease, vessel strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and predation by killer whales. |
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