Sea Otters also have long, sensitive whiskers.
These whiskers help otters to detect food and navigate dark or murky waters.
Above water, they’re known to use their very keen sense of smell to stay ahead of potential predators or seek out food sources.
Their flat, round teeth help them to crush fish, octopuses, and crabs.
One of their favourite treats, however, is sea urchin.
Most of the time, they’ll float on their backs to eat.
Sometimes, they’ll use rocks (which they often keep in a pocket near their arms) to break open the shells of clams, mussels, and other shellfish that they can’t simply bite or chew.
This makes otters one of the few mammal species proven to use tools when hunting and feeding.
Otters often rest in groups called a romp or a raft. These can contain anywhere from 10 to 2,000 otters!
In most cases, these rafts are exclusively male or female, with otters of opposite sexes mainly interacting during breeding seasons.
Otters typically give birth to a single pup, and mothers will spend up to a year keeping their pup safe and well-fed while teaching it important survival skills.
In the wild, otters can live for as long as 20 years!
As adults, an otters’ primary predators are orcas and sea lions.
Coastal regions with bears, coyotes, or eagles can also prove troublesome for young otter pups.
Sea otters are a popular inhabitant of many coastal aquariums and zoos, offering people a good chance to see one up close.
They’re also naturally curious and social, so while you shouldn’t approach one in the wild, they’re not likely to run and hide if you spot one nearby.
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