| Sea Otters |
| The sea otter, Enhydra lutris, is very well known as is the polar bear and walruse. It is the smallest marine mammal and is the only animal in the Enhydra class. It is the heaviest otter, reaching weight up to 45 kg compared to the average 30 to 34 kgs for other otters. THe major characteristic of the sea otter, as well as other otters, is its horizontally flattened tail. Its tail aids |
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| in its propulsion through the water. THis is a major characteristic due to the fact that the otter needs this extra propulsion to escape predators such as the killer whale. Sea otters have a vary wide range of food in their diet. To cathc their prey they dive under the water and only come up to the surface when they have either caught their prey or need air. They normally eat fish, mussels, tunicates, sea stars, bevalves, crabs, abalone, and octopuse. If the quantity of food is short then otters have been known to eat other organisms such as sand dollars. To gain acces to the fleshy material in crustaceans, the otter uses small rocks to break the har, outer exoskeleton. |
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| Mating for otters is very aggressive and prolonges. Male otters come up behind the female and grabs the females face in his mouth and pulls her head under water to subdue her. Most feamles will actually mate with up to three males in one mating period and some will form pair bonds with a male. Most pups are born in the spring and early summer. |
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