OCEANIC MAMMALS 



Order CARNIVORA: Dogs, Cats, and Their Relatives 



E carnivores, considered as an order on p. 134, are repre- 

 - sen ted by the sea otter (family Mustelidae) of the northern 

 Pacific Ocean. Two races of this species are recognized; both 

 were brought to the verge of extinction because of their 

 valuable fur, but now they are recovering in numbers and 

 may be an important resource in the future. 



Family MUSTELIDAE: Weasels, Martens, Otters 



NORTHERN SEA OTTER 

 ENHYDRA LUTRIS LUTRIS (Linnaeus) 



[Mustela] lutris Linnaeus, Systema Naturae,, ed. 10, vol. 1, p. 45, 1758 (Kamchatka). 

 SYNONYM: Lutra marina Schreber, Saugthiere, vol. 3, p. 465, pi. 128, 1778 (ex Steller) ; 

 Nov. Comment. Petropol., vol. 2, p. 367, pi. 26, 1751. 



SOUTHERN SEA OTTER 

 ENHYDRA LUTRIS NEREIS (Merriam) 



Latax lutris nereis Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 17, p. 159, Oct. 6, 1904 



("San Miguel Island, Santa Barbara Islands, California"), 

 FIGS.: Royal Nat. Hist., vol. 2, p. 98, fig., 1894; zur Strassen, 1914, pp. 12*. 13*; 



Nelson, 1916, col. fig. p. 434. 



The distinction between the northern sea otter and the 

 southern race rests apparently upon slight cranial differences; 

 hence it is not possible to distinguish the two without recourse 

 to the skulls. Accordingly they may be treated together as 

 representing but a single species, while the limits of geographi- 

 cal and individual variation still remain to be more precisely 

 defined. It is believed that the southern race is the one 

 occurring north at least to the coast of Oregon. 



The sea otter is of rather heavy, robust form, about 4 feet in 

 length, of which the tail is about a foot. The fore feet are small, 

 with naked palms, but the hind feet are long and broad, 

 webbed and with furry soles, recalling the flippers of a seal. 



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