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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
What is the world sea otter population?
The sea otter population is thought to have once been 150,000 to 300,000, stretching in an arc across the North Pacific from northern Japan to the central Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. The fur trade that began in the 1740s reduced the sea otter's numbers to an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 members in thirteen colonies. In about two-thirds of its former range, the species is at varying levels of recovery, with high population densities in some areas and threatened populations in others. Sea otters currently have stable populations in parts of the Russian east coast, Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and California, and there have been reports of recolonizations in Mexico and Japan. Population estimates made between 2004 and 2007 give a worldwide total of approximately 107,000 sea otters. (Wikipedia)
For the source and more detailed information concerning your request, click under the related links section (Wikipedia) indicated directly below this answer section.
What is the biggest threat to sea otters today?
The pinniped population is decreasing, because of lack of food and global warming, so the killer whales now seem to be eating sea otters instead of pinnipeds.
Are sea otters related to weasels?
My second grade students asked this question, so we looked it up. According to Wikipedia , weasels and otters are related. They belong to the Musteliedae family, along with badgers, sea otters, wolverines, ferrets, martens, and mink. This is a difficult family to classify scientifically and some of the animals have been classified as being in this family through the use of DNA. Animals in this family are carnivorous and tend to have short legs and anal scent glands. Skunks were thought to be part of this family, but DNA evidence has shown that they are actually not in this family. This family is commonly called the Weasel family.
However, no cases have ever been found of otters and other mustelids producing young, even through means of artificial insemination. Factually speaking, the only factor that keeps otters in the family Mustelidae is their similar appearance to weasels and, in particular, minks, as the DNA of otters and weasels is incompatible. So, in a sense, no, otters are not related to weasels, except by taxonomical classification.
Yes they do often eat seagulls. In fact the whales can vomit up the fish they have swallowed so that the regurgitation may float on the water and attract a seagull - the whale then rises from under the water and chomps its jaws on the gull to take it down into the water where the whale will drown the gull before it is swallowed.
How many young do rivers otters have?
They usually have about 5 or less babies. but they do not reproduce like dogs... (which has about 11 or 12 puppies
There are otters found all over North America, including throughout Canada. They live in rivers and lakes, as well as swamps.
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.
