THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 71 



on land and trying frantically to escape the clubs of hunters. His 

 impression that the toes of the hind flipper were doubled back 

 under the foot when walking was so strong a conviction that he 

 figured this unnatural position in the frontispiece of his book. 



When the sea otter walks unhurriedly on land, it moves with a 

 rolling gait, raising one foot at a time and with the back arched 

 (fig. 32). 



When animals some distance from the water are startled, they 

 arch the back and bound or hop, moving both forefeet then both 

 hind feet forward in rapid succession (fig. 33). Juveniles and 

 young adults are more agile than large, heavy adults. Some large 

 animals seem unable to raise their bodies from the ground and 

 slide, with the help of the feet, across the beach on the belly. 



Sleeping 



The sea otter may sleep while floating on its back (fig. 34) or 

 when hauled out on shore (fig. 84). 



Figure 33. — Adult sea otters, startled on a favorite hauling-out beach at 

 Amchitka Island, bound toward the water in a typically mustelid manner. 

 Speed of movement is somewhat less than the running speed of a normally 

 agile man. (KWK 1027) 



