Are otters and sea otters different?

Profile. Sea otters aren’t only heftier than river otters—their fur is also quite distinguishable. If you look closely at river otters, you’ll notice that they have short, coarse fur made up of two layers: one for keeping them warm, and another ‘waterproof’ one outside of that.

How do sea otters differ from other marine mammals?

Sea otters have the thickest fur of any animal. Their fur contains between 600,000 to 1,000,000 hair follicles per square inch. Unlike most other marine mammals, otters lack a blubber layer. Instead, they depend on their dense, water-resistant fur to provide insulation.

What do marine otters look like?

The marine otter is dark brown above and on the sides, and fawn on the throat and underside. The marine otter has webbed paws and strong claws. The ventral side (underside) of the paws are partially covered in fur. It has 36 teeth and a dental formula of 3.1.

How many marine otters are left?

41 years later and counting, their conservation status remains unchanged and their future uncertain. Sea otter population growth has stalled in recent years and many hurdles for full population recovery remain. There are only about 3,000 southern sea otters left in the wild today.

Is a river otter a marine mammal?

The marine otter is a charismatic marine mammal that lives along the Pacific coast of South America.

What is the difference between a sea otter and a sea lion?

Sea lions are brown, bark loudly, “walk” on land using their large flippers and have visible ear flaps. Sea otters are smaller than seals and sea lions, have stubby front paws and rest by floating on their back.

Are otters freshwater or saltwater?

There are 13 species in total, ranging from the small-clawed otter to the giant otter. Though most live in freshwater rivers, lakes, and wetlands, the sea otter and the smaller marine otter are found in the Pacific Ocean.

Are sea otters and river otters the same?

Simple Taxonomy. Taxonomically speaking, there is actually only one species of sea otter! A river otter eating a fish. The one exception to these rules is the Marine otter (Lontra felina) — these otters are the only species of otter outside the Sea otter that reside in and around saltwater environments.

What would happen if sea otters went extinct?

As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. Without sea otters, sea urchins can overpopulate the sea floor and devour the kelp forests that provide cover and food for many other marine animals.

What did river otters evolve from?

The fossil remnants of many freshwater otters date back to the Miocene (5 to 23 million years ago). Scientists believe that sea otters descended from fish-eating, otter-like ancestors about five to seven million years ago, during the late Miocene and early Pliocene period.