0
Otters
Otters are semi-aquatic fish-eating mammals with a thick fur to keep them warm in cold water. Ask questions about these playful animals here.
899 Questions
because there is a lot of air that is trapped in its fur
Why do otters slap the water with their tails?
Otters slap the water with their tails so that they can be able to move. This is their mode of swimming from one point to another.
The Stellar sea lion, an eared seal, sometimes feeds on otters.
I'm not possitive, but it seems you'd be able to with a permit since they are found alot more then they used to, you could google it, because usually Bing is people who try to be smart off the tops of their heads.
*NO OFFENCE*
Can a sea anemones kill people?
Some anemones can sting and be poisonous to humans. In some waters of the world though, much like the Daddy Long Legged spider, the anemone can still be poisonous, though not be able to inject poison into humans. This is the case with anemones on the Western US Coastline (Washington to California). As a child i grew up playing with anemones on beach days without any problems. In tropical waters and other locations, anemones stingers are able to pierce humans' skin and inject the anemone's toxin. Much like a bee sting, a few can simply be painful while enough could kill you. I don't know about allergens to anemones much like people can be to bees/foods/etc. If you are swimming in unfamiliar waters or simply playing by the beach, do some research before hand. Better safe than sorry :)
What are sea otters covered with?
Fur, if I understand this question correctly. I know it kind of looks like skin or something but that is just because it is always slicked down.
Yes and no.
In monotremes, which includes the platypus, there are mammary glands but no teats. When producing the milk, the mother excretes milk out of pores in the skin and the young platypuses lick the milk off the abdomen. The mother has grooves specifically designed to keep milk that is excreted out.
When did the sea otter become an endangered species?
They were never part of the endangered species list.
Actually Their Endagered in About 12 Areas.
Why do sea otters wrap themselves in seaweed?
To anchor themselves so they don't drift out to sea while sleeping
Why do sea otters have wide webbed feet?
Otters have webbed feet so they can swim better than not having webbed feet.
What mammal family does the sea otters belong to?
The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) belongs to the family Mustelidae, which also includes badgers, skunks and weasels.
Mustelidae is among the largest animal families, partially because it does not have clear specifications and has been used as a receptacle for difficult-to-classify organisms, much like the kingdom Protista. Indeed, there is disagreement about whether Mustelidae should be divided into multiple families due to the possibility that its genera evolved along different lines (Bryant et al., 2002).
How does being born in a burrow under the ground help otter cubs survive?
The North American river otter, a member of the subfamily Lutrinae in the weasel family (Mustelidae), is equally versatile in the water and on land. It establishes a burrow close to the water's edge in river, lake, swamp, coastal shoreline, tidal flat, or estuary ecosystems. The den typically has many tunnel openings, one of which generally allows the otter to enter and exit the body of water. Female North American river otters give birth in these burrows, producing litters of one to six young
Do otters have close interaction with other organisms mutualism communism or paratism?
Sea Otters live in communities of several animals, other otters live as pairs/family groups.
Otters harbor parasites as do other animals.
The closest thing to mutualism would be gut flora/fauna that helps with digestion.
They can be hunted for several reasons.
Most commonly, they have been hunted for their fur. In fact, Sea otters have become endangered for this reason. With over 100,000 hairs per square inch, Sea otters have the densest fur of any mammal. Other otters also have water-resistant fur that, in some species, is very soft.
They have also been hunted as vermin. Until the 20th century, the only British otter species (the Eurasian river otter Lutra lutra) was persecuted by gamekeepers because it ate fish. This, as well as pollution, led to a decline in otter populations and the British otter is now protected by law.
In some cultures they are hunted for food. For example, their flesh was not considered meat in some parts of medieval Europe, and the Church ruled it could be eaten on Lent.
Otters are also hunted as trophies and for sport, although they are not a primary target of this type of hunting.
What is some cool stuff about river otters?
The River Otter has many vital adaptations that help them survive in some extreme environments. One of the major differences in the River Otter, and other land mammals of a similar size and weight, is the River Otter has a metabolic rate that is 50% higher, which helps them produce extra body heat, this helps them maintain their body temperature in the worst of the cold water, and weather they face on a regular basis. Also their coat is a combination of two different types of fur, an outer layer of "guard hairs", designed to protect the short dense second layer of fur, called the "under, or inner" coat. This double layer system insulates the River Otter from the cold weather, and helps them to float, and shed water. The nostrils are on the top of the nose, making it possible to breathe, while the body of the otter remains completely under water, another way to stay warm in an inhospitable environment. But they are also wonderfully adapted to diving, and the River Otter automatically closes his nostrils when he dives. The whiskers are highly sensitive, picking up vibrations in the water, aiding hunting under water. The four webbed feet help with forward thrust during swimming. While the River Otter uses two styles of swimming, a dog paddle style for slower cruising, or floating on the surface of the water, and especially when they are coming up for air. But when they are sprinting, or in a high speed chase or dive, their whole body is used in an undulating motion, and the rear webbed feet are used more for steering the sharp twists and turns, they are so well known for. Also the River Otter is physically designed, to accommodate more land travel than other Otters. They can even run at surprising speeds, around 29 miles per hour over land, due to the considerable distances they may have to travel to find new territories. Plus the River Otter has scent glands used to mark the territory they patrol, and it's been adapted into a defensive weapon of sorts. They will use these "permeable scent glands" much as skunks do. For more details, please see the sites listed below.
How do sea otters use their energy?
A sea otter does not get energy directly from the sun the it gets energy from the plants it eats which obtain energy from the sun, so it depends on how you look at it. for the most part though , yes it does.
Why are sea otters in a critical situation when they encounter oil spills?
Sea otters have very thick coats, they constantly groom themselves to keep it in tip top condition, so that air can get trapped between each strand. It is the trapped air which helps them keep warm. If their coat gets clogged with oil, air can no longer get trapped, which causes an otter to get cold very quickly. When this happens, otters will die from hypothermia. Also because they spend so much time grooming their fur, they swallow the oil, causing damage to their internal organs. This makes them very sick and unable to feed, sadly, starvation is quick to follow.
No. Dolphins are under a group called Cetaceans (whales). Pinnipeds are an aquatic group under dog-like carnivores. Pinnipeds include animals like seals, sea lions, and walruses.
