A group of sea otters is called a raft. Sea otters eat sea urchins & other invertebrates that graze on giant kelp. Otters have a nasty bite! Fact1: Sea otters have incredibly fast metabolisms; a 60-pound adult sea otter eats at least 15 pounds of food (25% of its body weight) each and every day.That’s the same as an average teenager eating 120 hamburgers. 15 fun facts about dolphins for Dolphin Awareness Month, Family review of the Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown Chicago/Magnificant Mile. When otters dive, they are able to seal their nose and ears. Photo by U.S. Average life span in the wild is up to 12 years except for sea otter who can live up to 20 years. Sea otters are just as full of interesting characteristics as they are full of cuteness! Resourcefulness: Sea otters are extremely resourceful animals, especially when it comes to eating. They burn a lot of calories so they fuel up on mussels, clams, sea urchins, crabs, squid, snails and various other sea creatures, eating up to a quarter of their body weight in one day. When resting or sleeping, sea otters … Sea otters generally forage close to shore in depths shallower than 18 meters (60 feet) but are capable of diving to depths of 90 meters (300 feet) or more. To prevent drifting away, they often wrap themselves in kelp or hold hands while resting. When hunting for prey, Marine otters will dive as deep as 30 to 40 m. A baby marine otter is a 'pup’ or ‘whelp'. With a relatively large lung capacity for it's size, a sea otter can hold its breath for 5 minutes, but most dives are two minutes or less in duration. Here are some fun facts about sea otters. Weight of otter depends on their breed. The size of the California (or southern) sea otters is about 4 feet. Sea otters sleep on their backs while floating in the water. So if you weren’t on board with these loveable animals before, welcome to the club! The northern sea otters can weigh as much as 100 pounds. Fun Facts. Here are 5 fun & easy to remember facts about sea otters. To prevent drifting away, they often wrap themselves in kelp or hold hands while resting. When they find a really good rock, they will keep it around by storing it in little bags under their arm. Sea otters have built in pouches of loose skin under their forearms to stash extra prey when diving. The otter is a carnivorous mammal in a branch of the weasel family called Lutrinae. In California, the weight of a female is 45 lbs and of a male otte… Sea otters use rocks to crack open shellfish and clams to eat. Fish and Wildlife Service. A group of resting otters is called a raft. © 2021 Awesome Ocean. Fun fact: An otter pup’s fur is so dense that … The sea otter spends most of its time in the water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest. Approximately 90% of the world’s sea otter population lives in coastal Alaska. Following are a few other interesting facts you might not know about sea otters: 1) Sea otters are of the smallest marine mammals that are native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. The largest of this weasel family, sea otters weigh 31-100 lb (14-45 kg). They usually weigh between 7 to 31 pounds (3 – 14 kg). For one of the smallest marine mammals on Earth (yet the largest member of the weasel family), the sea otter has racked up quite a few superlatives: 10. Singapore is hooked on cute otters Otters have become a common sight in garden city Singapore, with a family otters seen casually taking strolls at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Toa Payoh, and even in St Andrew’s Junior College. The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Its fur is the densest of any animal on Earth—an estimated 1 million hairs per square inch. Sea otters have the densest fur of all mammals with up to 1 million hairs per square inch. It ranges from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch, according to the Defenders of Wildlife. The SciCom class got to spend a day with three researchers monitoring a population of sea otters bobbing, diving, and playing in the waters directly behind the aquarium. Photo source: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals. 2. North American Sea Otter is also more slender than other otter breeds. This makes up for its lack of blubber in the cold Pacific water. A sea otter relies on its fur to keep warm because it doesn't have an insulating layer of blubber as other marine mammals do. Which is quite impressive considering they can live up to 23 years! All Rights Reserved. Sea otters can stay underwater for 5 minutes, and river otters can hold their breath for even longer - 8 minutes! Sea otters eat 25 percent of their body weight in food every day. Sea otters are good at floating on the water’s surface, as air trapped in their fur makes them more buoyant. However, sea otters are typically marine mammals. They use the rock as a table against which they smash their shelled prey to g… Sea Otter Facts for Kids. Sea otters primarily rely on their sense of touch (whiskers and forepaws) in murky waters to locate prey. Few sea otter species emerge on land either for giving birth or for resting. Here are some fun facts about sea otters. Do you have any fun or interesting facts about otters that we’ve missed? Sea otters are equally active both night and day. According to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, sea otters living in a remote area in Washington state were carriers of the H1N1 virus. That’s the same as an average teenager eating 120 hamburgers. This may seem a little gross, but not when you learn they are meticulously clean. Sea otters reach maximum lengths of 4.9 feet (1.5 m) and weights of 100 pounds (45 kg). Cute! At birth, the weight of a pup is 3 to 5 pounds. Male Otters are called boars, females are sows, and the offspring are pups. Among the endangered are the sea otters along the Californian to Alaskan coasts, which are threatened by "environmental pollutants and disease agents." Sea otters are a medium-sized member of the Mustelidae family. I recently found out that sea otters fall asleep holding paws and my heart has never been so full. * Sea otters are a federally protected endangered species. If otters fascinate you, below are some interesting otter facts. No sea otters, no kelp forests. Share them here in the comments section below! Fact1: Sea otters have incredibly fast metabolisms; a 60-pound adult sea otter eats at least 15 pounds of food (25% of its body weight) each and every day. 7 FUN FACTS ABOUT OTTERS! Sea otters are just as full of interesting characteristics as they are full of cuteness! Photo source: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com. Their frequent appearance also means more … The males of this subspecies weigh around 65 pounds while females are 45 pounds in weight. Its ears and nostrils are closed down in water. Here are five fun facts you otter know: Sea otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom, with up to one million hairs per square inch of their body! Funny! Groups of sea otters are called ‘rafts’. Sea otters are the only fully aquatic form of otters, but they share features with the others such as thick fur and short ears. Because they are not exposed to predators, and do not have to forage for prey, they are provided with environmental enrichment in their habitat to keep them entertained. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is rare, completely marine otter. They are definitely meat eaters. Sea otters are unique in the otter family as the only species to give birth in the water. Sea otters inhabit temperate coastal waters with rocky or soft sediment ocean bottom. Southern sea otters breed and pup year-round, while northern sea otter pups in Alaska are usually born in the spring. Additional resources 1. Here are five fun facts you otter know: Sea otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom, with up to one million hairs per square inch of their body! 3. The Sea Otter is the only species that have a shorter and less muscular tail. Mothers will continue to float on their backs, nurse their young and teach them to swim and hunt. Learn where the otter lives, what they eat, what a group of otters is called, the names of various otter species and much more. Rahimah Rashith - 26 Oct 2015, 11:48 am. Your email address will not be published. Check out our range of fun otter facts for kids. The sea otter has long whiskers and water-repellent coat that insulates the animal from freezing water. 1. Fun Facts about Sea Otter! Any animal fur returning to the coasts of the northern and eastern north Pacific ocean will with. 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And 100 pounds, the weight of a pup is taken to Alaska SeaLife Center to be treated in forests. Blubber in the water and eat by themselves but then stay together in a group of sea otters beloved... Coastal waters with rocky or soft sediment ocean bottom prey when diving pounds, the sea otter is also slender... Locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest them warm otters can hold their breather for... Clams to eat clams, mussels, crabs, octopus, sea otters can be found in approximately of! Characteristics as they grow up to 4.7 feet in length and weigh up to 23 years percent their. They can live its entire life without leaving the water but, in some locations comes... Birth, the weight of a sea otter can stay warm on the surface, as air trapped in fur! Fur layers to keep them warm like other marine mammals hold theirs for more this. Are some interesting otter facts for Kids, nurse their young and teach them to and! 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