Sea Otter

Power Point by Jillian

Introduction

Name of animal is sea otterScientific name enhydra lutrisSea Otters are different colorsThey grow up to be 100 pounds

Physical FeaturesSea otters have different colored fur.Their faces are round and furry.Their noses are tiny.They also have tiny ears.They have webbed feet.

Lifespan

In the 1800`s to the 1900’s the sea otter`s were killed because of there fur.In the1900`s several nations agreed to stop killing otters but it was too late because a lot of the sea otters were killedMale sea otters live between 10-15 years.Female sea otters live between 15-20 years.

Habitat/Climate

Sea otters live along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.They do best in warm coastal waters.They stay within 1 mile of the shoreline where the water is more shallow.To protect themselves from the ocean winds they live in thick areas of kelp, rocky coast lines, and barrier reefs.They like to live in kelp, they think kelp is yummy and cozy.

More Habitat/Climate

There favorite place is in the under water kelp.

What I Eat

Sea otters are carnivores.Adults have to eat up to 15 to 20 pounds per day.They eat clams, crabs, squid , snails, and abalone (sea snail) .When a Sea Otter try`s to get inside the clam it will throw a rock at the clam until the clam brakes open.

Prey and PredatorsThey eat clams, crabs, snails, squid, and abalone (sea snail).There predators are great white sharks and killer whales.Other predators are Stellar sea lions, coyotes, bears, and eagles.People capture kill and fish sea otters for there fur and blubber.

BehaviorSea otters rest of their backs with their paws folded and chins on their chest. They spend most of their time grooming their bodies. They mostly stay in groups (pods).They usually stay in the same area for years.

Reproduction

Sea otters can start to have babies at 3 or 4 years old. They can have babies every year or every other year. They usually only have one baby at a time. Baby sea otters are called pups.

Physical AdaptationsThey have fur the keeps water off of their skin to keep them warm in the water. They have a tail shaped to help them move fast through the water. They have claws to open shells to eat.They have webbed feet to help them swim in water.They have long whiskers to find fish.

Behavioral AdaptationsSea otters float on their back with their feet out of the water to reduce heat loss. When they want to cool down, they spread their feet out under water.They increase or decrease their lung size to change their buoyancy. They wrap themselves in kelp so they don’t float out to sea.

Physiological AdaptationsSea otters have heat exchanges in their feet to control their body heat.Their bodies create more energy compared to other animals their size in order to keep them warm in the water.Their legs are completely covered with veins to help control the temperature of their blood moving through their body.

Sea otters and skunks are in the same animal family. A group of Native Americans used to believe that sea otters carry the souls of humans that have drowned in the ocean.Sea otters have no blubber and most marine animals do.Their furs were sold for over $1,000.

  

Interesting Facts