THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 35 



1 



Figure 17. — Sheared surface showing skin and distribution of pores from 

 which hair bundles emerge, anterior at top. Sample is from midback, adult 

 male D22-57. Magnification X 24. (VBS 5721) 



during molt. The underfur hairs seem to be equal in diameter, though twice 

 as long, as those of Callorhinus (Scheffer, 1962, p. 22 and 72). On a disc cut 

 from the fresh skin of an adult female fur seal there are 939 bundles and 

 about 50,000 individual hairs (Scheffer, 1964). On a disc of the same area, 

 though from preserved skin, of the adult male sea otter "Pappy" there are 

 1,300 bundles and about 100,000 hairs. Because of sampling variables, how- 

 ever, it cannot be said conclusively that the fur of the sea otter is twice as 

 dense as that of the fur seal. 



SKIN 



John K. Ling (Department of Zoology, Massey University, Pal- 

 merston North, New Zealand) contributed the following de- 

 scription, based on examination of a small sample of skin from 

 the facial region of one animal (D22-57). 



The formalin-fixed skin was sectioned parallel and at right angles to the 

 skin surface along the hair follicle axes and stained with haematoxylin, eosin, 

 and picric acid. Measurements are uncorrected for post mortem changes and 

 are to be regarded as approximate only. 



The skin is 3 mm thick from the surface to the panniculus carnosus; the 

 epidermis averages 50 microns in thickness, the papillary layer of the dermis 



