SEA OTTERS 



almost hidden in fur; body supple; limbs short; forefeet 

 proportionally small; hind feet broadly webbed, flipper-like, 

 haired on both surfaces; tail short and thick. 



Color. — Sexes colored alike; no marked seasonal variation 

 in color. 



Upperparts dark brown or brownish black, glossy and 

 rich in tone, sprinkled with white- tipped hairs; grayer on top 

 of head and neck; underparts same as upperparts. 



Measurements. — Total length, about 4 feet; tail vertebrae, 

 12 inches; hind foot, 6 inches long by 4 inches wide. 



Geographical Distribution. — Formerly the north Pacific 

 coast south to Lower California. 



Food. — Marine animal life such as fish, crustaceans, shell 

 fish, cuttle-fish, sea-urchins, etc. ; said to eat seaweeds and 

 kelp when forced to do so, and to eat meat when obtainable. 



Enemies. — Killer Whale and Steller Sea Lion. 



Species and Subspecies of the Genus Enhydra 



Northern Sea Otter. — Enhydra lutris lutris (Linuceus). 



As described above. Today exterminated over most of its 

 range and to be found in North America only in a few 

 scattered localities from Vancouver Island north to the 

 Alaskan coast and adjacent islands. 



Southern Sea Otter. — Enhydra lutris nereis (Merriam). 



Larger than typical lutris, browner, less black, and with 

 fewer white-tipped hairs. Total length, 4 to 6 feet; tail 

 vertebrce, 11 inches; hind foot, 6 inches. Found today only 

 in very few localities along coast of southern California 

 south along lower California, or possibly even extinct. 



* * * * * * jf: 



The Sea Otter is such a rare mammal today, so nearly 

 extinct, that there is very little likelihood any of the readers 

 of this handbook will ever see one alive. There are only a 

 few localities where Sea Otter are known to exist and these 

 animals have become so wary that they very seldom come onto 

 the land. 



The favorite haunts are kelp beds and shallow waters along 

 rocky islands and coves. They get all of their food from the 

 sea and are expert swimm.ers, diving to depths of three hundred 

 feet or more. 



The young is usually but one to a birth, occasionally two, 

 and may be born any month of the year. The mother is very 

 affectionate and solicitous of her offspring. 



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