Main page: Sea otter. Check out our range of fun otter facts for kids. What Do River Otters Eat | River Otter Facts. They were overhunted in the past because of their beautiful pelt. Despite its common name, the North American river otter is equally comfortable in either coastal marine or freshwater habitats. 2. North American Sea Otters are larger than Asian otters. Floating on its back, it opens mollusks by smashing them on a stone balanced on its chest. River otters primarily feed on fish with the size ranges from 2 – 50 cm (0.79 – 20 inches) which is really necessary since fish is a great source for gaining calories. Most sea otters measure less than 50 inches. The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is a semiaquatic mammal in the weasel family.While it may simply be called the "river otter" in North America (to distinguish it from the sea otter) there are other river otter species throughout the world.

Fun Otter Facts for Kids. Sea Otter Facts. These animals are numerous everywhere, except in Scandinavia. Arctic fox can be found in Iceland, Greenland, Northern Europe, Russia, Canada and Alaska. Sea otters are carnivores in the family Mustelidae—a group of animals that also includes terrestrial and semi-aquatic forms such as weasels, badgers, skunks, fishers, minks, and river otters.Sea otters are the only fully aquatic form of otters, but they share features with … It also included Kamchatka, and as far south as Japan. The large hind feet are broad and flipperlike. When a wolverine takes a step, its paw spreads to almost twice its original size as it presses against the ground. Sea otters play a vital role in the health and stability of the nearshore marine ecosystem as a keystone species Sea otter. Their historic range included shallow waters of the Bering Strait. These include game fishes, bass (Centrarchidae) suckers (Catostomidae), and shiners. Other facts. California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. It is made up of a waterproof top layer and a short underlayer, which can contain as many as one million hairs per square inch. Currently the southern sea otter population is estimated at just above 3,000 animals. Sea otters … Otters are alert, and their sensitive whiskers can detect movement of any predators in the water. The sea otter is an important part of both of these habitats — It’s a keystone species, which means that the health of sea otters is a good indication of the health of other species and ecosystems nearby. Even a baby sea otter can stay warm on the open ocean, but they do need some help from their mothers. This makes up for its lack of blubber in the cold Pacific water. There are 5 subspecies of arctic fox that inhabit tundra throughout the Arctic Circle. Depending on where they live, predators could include large cats and snakes, alligators or caimans, domestic dogs, or eagles.

They live along the Pacific coast of North America. Sea otter predators include killer whales, sea lions and sharks.