KEY TO THE SEALS, SEA-LIONS, AND 

 SEA OTTER OF THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC OCEAN 



How to use the key. Compare the unknown animal with the descrip- 

 tion given in paragraph A. If it fits, the animal is a sea otter. If it does 

 not, then move along the alphabet until the smallest group is found into 

 which the specimen fits in all details „ 



A. Forefeet somewhat dog-like but with heavy pads, not flipper-like; 

 hindfeet webbed and flattened like flippers; tail nearly as long as 

 hindlimb; fur long, soft, and silky; external ears rolled; fully grown 

 animal normally less than 85 pounds; fresh skeleton may be purplish; 

 cheek teeth large and flat; usually occurs among kelp beds near 

 shore in western Alaska and near Monterey, California. Sea otter, 

 page 3. 



AA„ Forefeet modified as flippers; tail inconspicuous, much shorter than 

 hindlimb; external ears pointed or absent; fully grown animal more 

 than 85 poundSo Pinnipeds including eared and earless seals and 

 walrus „ 



B. Hindflippers capable of forward movement, or rotation, so that the 

 animals use them in walking on land; foref Uppers paddle, or oar- 

 like, and used as primary source of propulsion in swimming; flip- 

 pers usually hairless, leathery; digits of foreflippers sometimes 

 without nails; digits of hindflippers always with distinct nails, coat 

 never spotted or striped; whiskers always smooth, not beaded. Wal- 

 rus and eared sealSo 



C. Conspicuous white tusks or upper canine teeth in both sexes, promi- 

 nent area of very heavy, short whiskers on muzzle, exposed length 

 of tusk up to 31 inches in adult male and 24 inches in female; molar 

 teeth greatly flattened, adapted for grinding; external ears absent or 

 mere wrinkles; tail absent; digits of foreflippers with five small but 

 distinct claws; on younger animals hair on upper surfaces of flippers. 

 Pacific walrus, page 17. 



CCo Without tusks, all teeth pointed, adapted for grasping and tearing; 

 external ears pointed, cylindrical, and tightly rolled; digits of fore- 

 flippers without claws but small pits present; all flippers hairless, 

 smooth, and leathery. Eared seals or otarids (iur seals and sea- 

 lions „) 



Do Coat with two distinct layers: dense underfur and coarse gnaard or 

 overhair; digits of hindflippers approximately equal in length; snout 

 pointed; newborn young glossy black. Fur seals. 



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