112 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 68 



occurs, the otters do not relinquish food remaining in the chest 

 pouches. In one instance we interrupted a feeding adult male and 

 pursued him for nearly 2 hours. He invariably evaded us by sur- 

 facing at unpredicted places. We finally abandoned as futile our 

 effort to capture him and he immediately continued to eat the 

 sea urchins he had carried under his left foreleg during the entire 

 chase. 



When captive otters are given food on land, the items are 

 transferred to the chest pouch under the left foreleg w^ith the 

 assistance of the right pav^. The otter then walks on three legs to 

 return to the water with the food. If the quantity of food exceeds 

 the capacity of the pouch under the foreleg, additional food may 

 be grasped and carried in the jaws. 



A captive, resting on her side near her pool, was able to place 18 

 clams (Protothaca) , ranging from about 3 to 4 cm. in greatest 

 diameter, under her left foreleg. When a 19th was added, most of 

 the others fell out. Eight clams were easily carried under the left 

 foreleg while the otter walked on three legs about 3 m. to the pool. 



Where Food is Eaten 



Sea otters normally bring food items to the surface and, using 

 their forepaws, pass the food to the mouth and eat while floating 

 on their backs. Hooper (1897) probably misinterpreted a state- 

 ment by Steller (1751) when he stated that "the otter haul out 

 upon the land to feed on the sea urchins and the other shellfish 

 exposed at low water." Wild sea otters do not carry food from the 

 water to exposed rocks or beaches and normally do not emerge 

 from the water to obtain food. I know of no record of a wild otter 

 voluntarily consuming food on land. 



A wild otter that habitually frequented the inshore water near 

 our fish-cleaning platform quickly learned to take fish scraps from 

 our hands. After several weeks he often left the water to beg for 

 food while following us about. Even though he accepted pieces of 

 fish as far as 25 m. from the water (fig. 61), he always carried 

 the food back to the water before eating it. 



Captive otters, if they are denied access to water, will eat while 

 lying on a dry surface, but usually reluctantly. Captives having 

 free access to water and dry areas, voluntarily leave the water to 

 obtain food when they are hungry (fig. 62) but return to the water 

 to eat it. 



Periodically (usually at intervals of 20 to 30 seconds) while 

 consuming food at the surface, the sea otter stops eating and rolls 



