River otters can stay underwater for up to eight minutes and can close their ears and nostrils to keep water out! They can also dive to a depth of 60 feet!The otter is a small mammal that lives both in water and on land. There are 13 known species of otters that inhabit areas around the world Otters have a thick coat of fur which enables the otter to be warm in near freezing waters. There is also a series of thin hairs under the otters fur that help to trap air and keep the otter warm. The river…
Enhydra lutris, commonly known as sea otter, is the second smallest marine mammal that lives in shallow coastal waters of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Sea otters are often found in areas with protection from the most severe ocean winds, such as rocky coastlines, thick kelp forests, and barrier reefs. They are considered a keystone species because they are crucial to the health of the nearshore marine ecosystem. Because sea otters eat sea urchins, which are herbivores that feed…
Featured on this piece are Chinese coins, wood, sinew and moose hide. The Chinese coins show a diffusion of cultures. Since these coins were given to the Tlingit by “Boston sea merchants in exchange for sea otter pelts” perhaps this armor represents a bond between the two groups of people—a symbol of camaraderie even. After all, the helmet resembles an abstract sea lion. Yet, if this functions as armor and warriors wear it to battle, then rival groups may identify…
PWS (Monson et al. 2000). PWS is where most of the research on sea otters after the spill was carried out. Around 42 million liters of Prudhoe Bay crude oil was poured in the Alaskan waters (Monson et al. 2000). Lutra canadenis is a river otter that is located in Prince William Sound. The river otter occurred negative effects by the oil spill. Numerous studies were carried out to see the impacts of the oil spill on the river otters (Duffy et al. 1994).…
In modern-day Scandinavia, people use the marine environment as an important part of their life. From large oil rigs to small fishing villages, Scandinavians uilizedt the marine environment that surrounds them. I know this quite well, from experience. My paternal grandmother was raised on a small island and fishing village off the cost of northern Norway, called Sommarøy, near Tromsø. Her father was a fisherman and her mother was a Sami from Finnmark, which also lived off the sea. From her, I…
Nhuy Nguyen Mrs. Pirchio AICE Marine Science 27 September 2015 Hunter and the Hunted Interrelation Population 1. Introduction: From Mexico, to Alaska, and even within Japan, there’s a high chance of being able to visit areas where sea otters can be sighted. Sea otters, also known scientifically as, Enhydra lutris, inhabit shallow coastal areas and they prefer places with a lot of kelp. They use the kelp surrounding them to wrap themselves in while they’re resting. They are very sociable…
The question you may be asking yourself is what is a Kushtaka? The Kushtaka, loosely translated to “land otter man,” by the Tlingit people of Southeastern Alaska, is a legendary shapeshifting creature that is endowed with supernatural powers, and lives in an uncharted rainforest. Kushtaka employs psychological tactics to subdue their victims, the Kushtaka is also said to have telekinetic powers and the ability to manipulate time and space, moving at mind-blowing speed from one position to the…
Erin Barding elaborated about the recovery and management of a reintroduced river otter population. River otters, or Lontra Canadensis, are stocky mustelid and semi-aquatic. They appear in rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. They have few natural predators and hold high value for their fur. In other words, otter’s fur are really dense and luxurious and can sell for $100-$200. Despite being awkward on land, otters are jet like in water. They inhabited most major drainages but by the 1900s they…
A chestnut colored, furry blur races past you as you are paddling your boat in a North American lake. You wonder what it could be! It is most likely a North American River Otter. In this essay, I will be informing you about this interesting member of the weasel family. The North American River Otter’s color can vary from light brown to almost black, and they have wide, rounded heads, small ears and nostrils that can be closed underwater. The females are usually around 3.2 feet long, are 11-30…
Sea otters number in the wild life is declining rapidly due to two possible problems: environmental pollution and attacks by predators. While the reading passage supports the claim that the decreasement of the sea otters is caused by the pollution, especially by human activities, the lecture points out that the assaults by the predators are the actual problem. First of all, sea otters are vurnerable to be hunted, and they have their natural predators: the orcas. It is not caused by the…