Endangered Sea Otter - March 2017
https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/marine-mammal-protection-act.html,
https://www.fws.gov/endangered/laws-policies/
Sea Otter and Pup, Morro Bay, California March 2017.
Sea Otters constantly groom and observing them is sometimes comical as they nibble, bite and lick every inch of their furry exteriors. They must keep their coats very clean in order to maximize it's ability to trap air and insulate them from frigid water. They are extremely vulnerable to oil pollution because crude oil destroys their fur's insulating properties. Otters that have been exposed to crude oil will die of hypothermia.
sea otterpupenhydris lutrismorro baycaliforniawildlifemammalmarinemustelidae
Sea Otter, Morro Bay, California March 2017.
Sea Otters are the only marine mammals that do not have a layer of insulating fat or blubber. They stay warm as a result of trapping air within their fur and maintaining their metabolism; Sea Otters consume 40% of their body weight every day.
sea otterenhydris lutrismorro baycaliforniawildlifemammalmarinemustelidae
Mating Injury Female Sea Otter, Morro Bay, California March 2017.
Male Sea Otters can be violent and during mating females are sometimes mortally wounded. Male Sea Otters commonly subdue a female by biting her face and nose. The wounds observed on this otter female were almost certainly inflicted by an aggressive mating male.
sea otterenhydris lutrismorro baycaliforniawildlifemammalmarinemustelidae
Sea Otter and Pup, Morro Bay, California March 2017.
Sea Otters have the most dense fur of any mammal; their pelts may have as many as 1 million hairs per square inch.
sea otterpupenhydris lutrismorro baycaliforniawildlifemammalmarinemustelidae
Sea Otter Pup, Morro Bay, California March 2017.
Their dense pelt and light weight prevent otter pups from sinking; they are born in the water and will spend the entirety of their lives without ever leaving the water.
sea otterpupenhydris lutrismorro baycaliforniawildlifemammalmarinemustelidae
Sea Otter and Pup, Morro Bay, California March 2017.
Sea Otters are one a few mammals that use tools; they often use stones to crack open sea urchins and shellfish and they have been observed using stones to pry muscles from ocean rocks. Otter diet consists of more than 100 species; their most important means of sustenance includes abalone, mussels, clams, crabs, urchins, snails, squid and octopus.
sea otterpupenhydris lutrismorro baycaliforniawildlifemammalmarinemustelidae
Sea Otter and Pup, Morro Bay, California March 2017.
sea otterpupenhydris lutrismorro baycaliforniawildlifemammalmarinemustelidae
Sea Otter and Pup, Morro Bay, California March 2017.
Female Sea Otters float on their backs with offspring aboard. Otter moms use their bodies to cradle and protect their offspring until the pups are several months old. I observed the otters for several days; the pups rarely vacated the warm bed of their mother's body and when they did take a swim, the pups would remain very close to their parent.
sea otterpupenhydris lutrismorro baycaliforniawildlifemammalmarinemustelidae