Morphology: The sea otter has a bilateral symmetry. They do not have blubber and instead rely on fur to keep them warm in the water. The sea otter is the smallest marine mammal in the world, with a reddish-brown coat, a strong rudder-like tail, and large hind feet that acts as flippers.
Biology: The sea otter has natural oils that is produced by the fur provide a waterproof quality. Also, with 100,000 hairs per cm^2 keeps the sea otters very warm.
Importance: Ecological: Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. As predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of the near-shore kelp ecosystems. Without sea otters, the undersea animals they prey on would devour the kelp forests off the coast that provide cover and food for many other marine animals. Economical: Sea otters were hunted for their fur to the point of near extinction. Early in the 20th century only 1,000 to 2,000 animals remained. Today, 100,000 to 150,000 sea otters are protected by law.
Facts:
The sea otter spends most of its time in the water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest.
Sea otters often float at the water's surface, lying on their backs in a posture of serene repose.
Otters will place the rock on their chests, and repeatedly smash the shellfish against it until it breaks open to reveal the tasty meal inside.
Sea otters are the only otters to give birth in the water.
Sea otters were hunted for their fur to the point of near extinction.
Vocab:
Diurnal: daily; of each day
Invertebrates: animals without a backbone
Polygynous: a pattern of mating in which a male has more than one female partner.
Subspecies: a different race of a species, which is geographically separated from other populations of that species.
Substrate: the surface or material on or from which an organism lives, grows, or obtains its nourishment