Common Core Standards . Sea otters consume over 100 prey species. The Sea Otter is a tier 7 animal. She … Adult female sea otters weigh 30 - 60 pounds A sea otter’s time and attention on any given day is preoccupied with the capture and consumption of food. Sea otters (scientific name: Enhydra lutris) can be found in shallow water dive, the sea otter collects and stores the food in the loose skin flaps of its armpit. Dentition is well-suited for a varied diet that includes shellfish. Search for more papers by this author. They prey on crustaceans by using pairs of rocks to crush the outer shells, easily accessing the soft flesh inside. Their measurements vary depending on the sex. When a pup is born, it may weigh HABITAT AND DIET. The most widely distributed otter is the Eurasian otter, found throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia to Japan and Indonesia. Sea otters are found almost everywhere in the world. Appearance. The diet of sea otters consists of fish, mollusks, various animals living in the sea, and sea birds. Sea otters © 2004 Kids Do Ecology, NCEAS, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, Over the course of the study, researchers found significant changes in the size distribution and abundance of several preferred prey bivalve species. Ages ago, sea otters foraged for food near the shoreline. Over the course of the study, researchers found significant changes in the size distribution and abundance of several preferred prey bivalve species. 1 Mechanics 2 Abilities 2.1 Active Abilities 3 Suitable Biomes 4 Diet 5 Hiding Places Rays, Pufferfish, Goliath Bullfrogs, Lobsters, Archerfish, Pelicans, and Bobbit Worms can evolve into Sea Otters. Search for more papers by this author. Horn sharks, which live on the seabed, have a similar diet to sea otters and have a powerful bite, but it was not able to defend itself here as the animal was already dead. Sea otter researchers have found that the following food items are the most frequently eaten by wild sea otters but that is only half the story. Besides, they also prefer to eat crabs, large barnacles, mussels, snails, tubeworms, clams, squid, octopuses, chitons, scallops, sea cucumbers, sea stars and abalone. This study focused on the impacts of sea otters on these soft-sediment-bottomed communities, which provide excellent habitats for the clams and other bivalves that are a food of choice for sea otters. Adult sea otters can eat 25% - 30% of their body weight in one day! Sea otters once ranged from Mexico to Alaska When a sea otter swims their feet move faster than the rest of their body, concluding that they suffer more heat loss. and Japan. In general, the diet of sea otters depends on their habitats and consists of 40 species of marine life. Bald eagles’ diet was once predominantly sea otter pups and kelp forest fish. Essay title: The Diet of Sea Otters Ecologists have long observed that when food becomes scarce, animal populations exploit a wider range of food sources. The extract below is heavily condensed but gives an insight into the diet of otters on the River Petteril, Cumbria. Southern California at San Nicolas Island of the Channel Islands. In addition, the northern sea otter eats … are the only marine mammals to use tools. has trouble maintaining body heat. Sea otters eat A LOT of food. When a pup is born, it spends the first eight months with its mother. By 1900, sea otters had been exterminated from nearly the entire North Pacific Ocean. Crude oil normally penetrates the fur of the otter destroying the air layer that is trapped next to its … hairs. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. Sea otters live for : Lernfeld 1-3: Schülerband: Erzieherinnen- und Erzieherausbildung. They can be found in pods of less than ten individuals At around four weeks of age, a pup begins to learn how to swim. Diet/Amount Southern sea otter consumes many types of prey including sea urchins, snails, clams, abalone, mussels, crabs, scallops, fish, barnacles, octopus, worms, and squid, which it captures with its clawed paws, not its jaws. C. Edward Bowlby. Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, P.O. 4. She brings the sea otter live fish because she knows that sea otters will not eat anything that is dead. Diet. Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade . Sea otters obtain their food by diving. Since otters spend most of their time in the water, their Background Information . A much larger population exists in Alaska DIET AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF SEA OTTERS IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA. They need a A Sea Otter's Diet. The specific role of the sea otters in the eco-system is as follows; 1. River otters are smaller than their cousins, the sea otters. Sea otters live in a cold ocean environment and rely on two traits to keep warm: a dense fur coat for insulation and very high metabolism to generate body heat. Research Division, Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940 . Unlike a sea otter from Alaska, the southern sea otter doesn't eat fish. The study integrated three main avenues of research: 1) estimating sea otter abundance and distribution; 2) describing the diet of sea otters and predation rates; and 3) measuring the composition, abundance, and sizes of species comprising the nearshore marine bottom community prior to and subsequent to sea otter colonization. Sea otters mate during all times of the year and pups can be born They especially like to reside in waters with kelp beds. While a mother sea otter dives to get food for her pup, she Their fur is thick a… Sea otters consume a wide variety of benthic invertebrates. Some of these animals have hard shells, which protect them from predators. A sea otter's diet consists mainly of slow-moving fishes and marine invertebrates including crabs, sea urchins, abalones, clams, mussels, and snails. food. They are diurnal, preferring to forage in the early morning and the late afternoon while resting through much of the night and the middle of the day. Because of its smart brain, sea otter uses its hand and take a rock to dislodge the invertebrate animal from its shell before the sea otter eats it. the prey with its forepaws. Diet and Nutrition. Some species, like th… After Karana stumbles on an injured baby sea otter, she takes up the responsibility of feeding the pup. The North American river otters are carnivores, they eat mainly aquatic animals such as amphibians, turtles, fish, crayfish, crabs, and other species of invertebrates. An average giant otter will weigh between 22 and 32kg (49-71lbs).. Sea otters mainly eat sea urchins, crabs, clams, mussels, octopus, other marine Sea otters eat a wide range of marine animals, including mussels, clams, urchins, abalone, crabs, snails and about 40 other marine species, equaling approximately 25 percent of their weight in food each day, according to Defenders of Wildlife. Diet/Amount. Sea otters eat mostly marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, various molluscs and crustaceans, and some species of fish. What does a sea otter eat for dinner? Foraging is done mainly at the shoreline or in shallow water, and is done almost entirely with the front paws. The existence of sea otter is helping the ecosystem to be balance. Diet. Hale found that sea otters in less dense, more recently occupied areas with faster population growth rates obtain more calories per minute than sea otters in higher density, slower-growing populations. Sea otters were sustained for long periods in captivity with a diverse diet, including cod, flatfish, and other fish that may not appear in their natural diet when free-ranging. The sea otters have a flexible skeleton and their face is small and round. The main diet of the otter is made up of fish and crustaceans. The giant river otters are excellent predators. Diet and prey sampling data suggest that prey resources in areas of long-term occupation are being depleted, and a decrease in the growth rate of sea otters is predicted. with some individuals reaching 100 pounds (45 kg). lot of food so that they stay healthy. How Do Sea Otters Eat? Sea otters always eat in the water and never on A very small relocated population resides in Sea otters are ‘’keystone species” because of their critical role in maintaining the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystems. 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