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Creature Feature. Sea Otters. Mammals Males weigh between 49 to 99 lbs and are 4 to 5 ft in length Females weigh between 30 to 73 lb and are 3-4 ½ ft in length Found along Pacific coastlines. Sea otters tend to rest together in single-sex groups called rafts
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Mammals • Males weigh between 49 to 99 lbs and are 4 to 5 ft in length • Females weigh between 30 to 73 lb and are 3-4 ½ ft in length • Found along Pacific coastlines
Sea otters tend to rest together in single-sex groups called rafts • A raft typically contains 10 to 100 animals (male rafts being larger than female ones)
Diet • Sea urchins, abalone, mussels, clams, crabs, snails and about 40 other marine species • Have a very high metabolic rate • Sea otters eat approximately 25% of their weight in food each day • Can dive up to 330 feet when foraging for food • Use of rocks when hunting and feeding, which makes it one of the few mammal species to use tools
Reproduction • Males have multiple female partners • Females mate once a year • Usually give single birth (twins rarely) • Mothers nurse and teach pups to forage
Conservation • Listed as Endangered • Historically hunted for their pelts • Considered a Keystone Species • Regulate sea urchin populations • In turn preserves kelp forests • Threats include: • Oil spills • Habitat loss • Disease • Fishing gear entrapment
Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdVuzK0iT58