84 MAMMALS OF THE PACIFIC WORLD 



tending from the crown along the center of the back. This ani- 

 mal is noted for its skunk-like ability to eject an evil-smelling 

 fluid for a considerable distance. 



The Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) is represented by forms 

 in Japan, Formosa, Sumatra, and Java. The smooth otter 

 (Lutra perspicillata) of India, recognized by its shorter, 

 smoother coat, is found also in Sumatra. The hairy-nosed ot- 

 ter (Lutra sumatrana) of the Malay States, Sumatra, Banka, 

 and Borneo is distinguished from others by its completely hairy 

 muzzle. The small-clawed otter (Lutra cinerea), a much smaller 

 species, ranges from northern India and China to Sumatra, 

 Java, and Borneo. 



The Sea Otter (Enhydra lutrls) is found on the shores of 

 the Pacific Ocean from Southern California north to Alaska 

 and the Aleutians, west to Kamchatka and the northern Kurile 

 Islands. The animal is about four feet long, one foot of which 

 is the tail. The fur is brownish black, many of the guard hairs 

 being tipped with white. The pelt of the sea otter is considered 

 one of the most valuable of furs ; a single skin has been sold for 

 as high as twenty-five hundred dollars. On this account, the 

 animal was formerly so much hunted that it was threatened 

 with extinction, but due to enforcement of strict laws protect- 

 ing it, is again increasing in numbers. 



Dogs, Wolves, Foxes. Family Canid^ 



The members of the dog family are generally medium-sized 

 animals with long muzzles, non-retractile claws, long legs well 

 adapted for running, strong canines, and molars of shearing- 

 crushing type. Their pelage is usually long and thick. Their 

 habits are terrestrial, and their sense of smell highly developed. 



True Wolves occur throughout the unsettled parts of the 

 northern hemisphere. Wolves are ancestral to many of the 

 breeds of domestic dogs. 



The Northern Wolf (Canis lupus) occurs throughout north- 

 ern and temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Various 



