Otterly awesome.

Sea otter awareness week

Did you know that this week is sea otter awareness week? You can watch them ...
otter cam here

Description (Taken from FWS fact Sheet, 2005)

Sea otters are a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) and live in the near-shore waters along the North Pacificocean. Sea otters are the smallest marine mammal and are most closely related to river otters. Sea otters are suited to their marine environment by adaptations of dentition, skeletal structure, and pelage. Sea otter dentition is adapted for crushing hard- shelled invertebrates such as clams, urchins, and crabs. The skeletal structure of the sea otter is loosely articulated and lacks a clavicle which allows for increased flexibility in swimming and grooming. The forelimbs are used primarily for grooming and foraging rather than swimming. The hind feet are flattened and flipper-like with an extension of the fifth digit which enables the animal to more efficiently swim on it’s back on the surface of the water. Sea otters do not have a blubber layer as other marine mammals do, instead they depend upon a dense, water-resistant fur to provide insulation against cold. Sea otter fur is very dense and has a greater number of hair follicles per inch than any other mammal. 

Adult sea otters can reach lengths of up to 6 feet (1.8 m) but average about 4.5 feet (1.4 m). Adult male otters weigh from 70 - 90 pounds (32-41 kg) with some males reaching up to 100 pounds (46 kg). Adult female otters average 40 – 60 pounds (18-27 kg).

Life History

Sea otters’ average life span is approximately 15 - 20 years. Female sea otters do not begin to breed until age 2 - 5 years and may breed annually up until age 20. Males become sexually mature at ages 4- 6 years but may not hold breeding territories until several years later. Mating occurs at all times of the year, and young may be born in any season. In Alaska, most pups are born in late spring. Sea otters generally have a single pup during each breeding cycle and the gestation period can be highly variable due to delayed implantation of the fertilized egg. A pup will weigh from 3 to 5 pounds (1.4 - 2.3 kg) at birth and stay with its mother from 3 - 6 months.

Range and Population Levels

Historically, sea otters occurred in near shore waters around the North Pacific rim from Hokkaido, Japan through the marine coastal areas of the Russian Far East and the Pacific coastal areas in the United States as far south as Baja California. The world-wide sea otter population was drastically reduced to just a few hundred animals between 1742 - 1911, due to commercial harvest by the Russian and Russian/American fur trades. Three population stocks of sea otters exist in Alaska today. The statewide population is believed to number around 70,000 animals.

The latest conservation efforts for sea otters in Alaska have now been made available. You can read the full report here. Fish and Wildlife sea otter recovery plan

 

References:

FWS (Fish and Wildlife), 2005, 2013. http://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/pdf/biologue.pdf

http://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/recovery.htm

image:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sea_otter_cropped.jpg