Reference photo — Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
#045
Sea Otter
Enhydra lutris
Easy
Endangered
Not photographed yet
Distribution
Range
Loads map tiles and observation data from OpenStreetMap and GBIF.
Range: iNaturalist (CC BY 4.0) · Base map: Natural Earth (public domain)
Quick facts
- Group
- Mammals
- Family
- Mustelidae
- Size
- 1.0–1.5 m (length)
- Weight
- 14–45 kg
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Lifespan
- 10–20 yrs
- Habitat
- Kelp forests, Rocky coasts, Coastal waters
About
The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg (30–100 lb), making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals. Unlike most marine mammals, the sea otter’s primary form of insulation is an exceptionally thick coat of fur, the densest in the animal kingdom.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), abridged.