Otter

1) After looking at the graphs in Figures 3 and 4, it is obvious that killer whales are the cause behind the deaths of a large amount of sea otters. Despite the data for Figure 3 showing all sea otter the researchers encountered, while the data for Figure 4 showing sea otters with radio tags, both figures still show a drastic decrease in sea otter population with the only main difference between Kulak Bay and Clam Lagoon being the ease of access that killer whales have to the areas. The…

Sea otters spend most their time in the water. Sea otters often float on the surface of the water on their backs. Sea otters eat up to 35% of their weight in fish, crabs, sea urchins, and lobster. Sea otters eat so much that they caused the fish population to decrease significantly. If sea otters were to go extinct then there would be major effects on the ecosystem. Sea otters eat a variety of things, but a big part of their diet is sea urchins. Sea urchins eat plants. If sea otters went extinct…

otherwise known as the Sea otter is an iconic species that embodies the rich diversity of ocean life. As one of the major groups of the weasel family, sea otters are also one of the smallest marine mammals. Unlike other mammals, such as whales and dolphins, Sea otters do not have blubber, instead they have one of the thickest and densest coat of fur. This fur coat holds up to almost one million hairs per square inch (Ravalli, 2010). With this amount of hair, the Sea Otter is able to maintain…

on otters. It will describe the basic life of an otter. I will discuss All the types of otters then their diet, population, habitat, and where they live in the world. Then lastly there threats. Otters, including river otters, are the most aquatic members of the weasel family. They have short ,dense underfur, webbed feet and a slim, sinuous body. Both the ears and nostrils can be closed when The animals are underwater. There are many types of otters such as sea otters ,the Canadian otter,…

Sea otters are known as one of the largest members of the weasel family, Mustelidae, but are one of the smallest marine mammals. Unlike most marine mammals, who have blubber that serve as a thermal insulator, sea otters have fur. Their fur is one of the densest, softest furs in the animal kingdom--that is also water-resistant. They are omnivores with a diet consisting of crabs, abalone, sea stars, squid, sea urchins, sea worms and around 40 other bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Furthermore, to…

Otter is a common name for a carnivorous mammal in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the weasel family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, martens, minks, polecats, Eurasian and American badgers, honey badgers and wolverines. Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs with webbed paws. Most have sharp claws on their feet and all except the sea otter…

the pollution hypothesis seemed the more likely cause for sea otter decline and provides three reasons of support. However, the professor states that predation hypothesis is the most likely cause of the sea otter decline and refutes each of the authors' reasons. First, the reading states that increasing in levels of chemicals could decrease the otters' resistance cause infections to life-threatening infections and death to sea otters. The professor opposes this point by saying that this point…

According to the article “Search for the Missing Sea Otters: An Ecological Detective Story” by Mary E. Allen and Mark L. Kuhlmann, the sea otter population has been decreasing at a rapid pace since the 1990’s in Aleutian, Alaska. This is demonstrated by article “What Could be the Cause of Decreasing Otter Numbers” which states that in 1997, the decline of the sea otter population had increased to about 90%. They hypothesize that the decrease in the sea otter population has been caused by their…

providers. Some of these species are even ecosystem engineers that create or maintain habitats for other species. Two of the most amazing keystone species are the sea otter and the American alligator. Sea otters are a keystone species in the Pacific Northwest and the marine ecosystems found along California’s shoreline. Sea otters are a very…

population of sea otters once numbered between several hundred thousand to over one million before being nearly hunted to extinction by fur traders in the 1700s and 1800s” (Defenders of Wildlife). There are only approximately 106,000 sea otters left. Due to fur trade in the early 1900s, there was once under 2,000 sea otters worldwide. Sea otters can possibly be represented as a poster child for reintroduction yet they still remain on the endangered list. There are many reasons why sea otters are…