They use whiskers to pursue for food. The fluffy baby fur is replaced by adult fur after about 13 weeks. Sea Otter Facts. Sea otters can sometimes be seen off sandy beaches — and even local harbors. The fur is responsible for insulating them and keeping them warm because they do not have a layer of blubber to keep them warm and protect them from the outside environment. These marine mammals have a number of characteristics that make them perfectly suited for life at sea. Sea otters can grow between 34 and 60 inches in length. They often dig deep to take snails and other like creatures from the mud. The sea otter is the only species of otter that spends almost its whole life at sea, even though it rarely travels farther than 0.6 miles (1km) from the coast. Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. They use it to smash shells open. Most sea otters measure less than 50 inches. Generally, the male sea otters grows from 3.11 to 4.11 feet in length and weighs around 49 to 99 pounds. These animals often hunt in short dives and they mostly appear on the water surface. Otter facts for kids. Females with pups appear to be more inclined to feed at night. Male sea otters usually weigh 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb) and are 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 11 in to 4 ft 11 in) in length, though specimens up to 54 kg (119 lb) have been recorded. Newsome, S.D., M.T. Mothers have been known to carry their pups for days after the pups' deaths. USGS. As the ability of the guard hairs to repel water depends on utmost cleanliness, the sea otter has the ability to reach and groom the fur on any part of its body, taking advantage of its loose skin and an unusually supple skeleton. An otter is one of the few species that use tools. In California, sea otters usually breed every year, about twice as often as those in Alaska. The sea otter’s diet includes fish, crabs, mollusks, and sea urchins, and it has very strong teeth for crushing their shells. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. Sea otters eat clams, crabs, mussels, and shellfish. A group of otters are called a 'bevy', 'family', 'lodge', or 'romp', or, when in water the group is called a … They spend much time alone, and each adult can meet its own needs in terms of hunting, grooming, and defense. Sea otters are found in the offshore environments and they come to the surface to forage. sleeper kids world. Sea otters are the exception, giving birth in the water. Sea otters use rocks to remove prey from their shells. Some are small river otters, and some are bigger sea otters. At birth, the weight of a pup is 3 to 5 pounds. Much has been written about the level of devotion of sea otter mothers for their pups – a mother gives her infant almost constant attention, cradling it on her chest away from the cold water and attentively grooming its fur. Its hind feet are webbed and flat so they work more like flippers. The prey ranges from crabs and limpets to the giant octopuses. Can otters use tools? So, their mother leaves them floating while … They have a thick fur coat that keeps them warm even in freezing water. Fun Facts for Kids. An otter pup's fur is too dense for it to swim underwater. The hind feet of the sea otter are long, broad, and flipper-like, while the forefeet are small. Males are larger than females. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. In the wild, sea otters live to a maximum age of 23 years, with average lifespans of 10–15 years for males and 15–20 years for females. It uses its lower incisor teeth to access the meat in shellfish. 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