Otters

What are characteristics of the genus Enhydra?

What are characteristics of the genus Enhydra?

Distinctive Features: Enhydra lutris is large relative to most other mustelids and has a short broad head and a short blunt snout. The subspecies in Alaska are significantly larger bodied and more robust than those in California.

  1. How do you identify a sea otter?
  2. Where do Enhydra lutris live?
  3. What do otters look like description?
  4. Are otters freshwater or saltwater?
  5. How do enhydra sleep?
  6. Why is the sea otter endangered?
  7. What is the behavior of a sea otter?
  8. Are sea otters endangered 2020?
  9. Are sea otters mean?

How do you identify a sea otter?

Sea otters are completely covered with fur, except for the nose pad, inside of the ear flaps, and the pads on the bottom of the feet. The colour of the fur is dark brown to reddish brown. Older individuals become grizzled, with the fur around the head, neck, and shoulders becoming almost white.

Where do Enhydra lutris live?

Sea otters, Enhydra lutris, are found in two geographic regions on the Pacific Coast: along the Kuril and Commander Islands off the coast of Russia, the Aleutian Islands below the Bering Sea, and the coastal waters off the Alaskan Peninsula to Vancouver Island, Canada; and along the central California coast from Ano ...

What do otters look like description?

These mammals are from the weasel family and have long, sleek bodies with dense, glossy brown fur from head to toe. Otters vary in size, ranging from 38 to 44 inches in length and weighing from 10 to 30 pounds. They have short legs, webbed toes, and tapered, muscular tails that aid in swimming.

Are otters freshwater or saltwater?

The more diverse river otters live primarily in freshwater rivers and streams, but are also found in coastal saltwater areas. Sea otters only exist in oceanic environments.

How do enhydra sleep?

Sea Otter. Behavioral observations revealed that sea otters (order Carnivora, Enhydra lutris) sleep in water at the surface on their backs in a characteristic posture, holding their heads above the surface and balancing their bodies with their tails.

Why is the sea otter endangered?

Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis), also known as California sea otters, were listed as threatened in 1977 under the Endangered Species Act. Reduced range and population size, vulnerability to oil spills, and oil spill risk from coastal tanker traffic were the primary reasons for listing.

What is the behavior of a sea otter?

Behavior. Most of a sea otter's life is spent at sea, though they do occasionally haul out on land, where they appear clumsy and walk with a rather awkward gait. They eat, sleep, mate and give birth in the water.

Are sea otters endangered 2020?

Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Sea otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom, ranging from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch, which helps insulate them. ...

Are sea otters mean?

Sea otter males can be just plain mean. When it comes to mating, male sea otters are aggressive. ... Not only are they mean to female sea otters and pups, but they're also flat out lethal to other species.

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