THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 115 



Figure 63. — At frequent intervals, while floating on the surface and con- 

 suming food, the sea otter stops eating and rolls about its longitudinal axis 

 through 360°. This action washes food slime and scraps from the chest. 

 It is an important behavioral characteristic that helps to keep the fur 

 clean and waterproof. Food slime destroyed the water-resistant and 

 insulating qualities of the fur of captive otters that were not given access 

 to water. In nature, sea otters eat only in the water — never on shore. 

 (KWK 1021) 



After removal from the pickling bath, they were packed in wide- 

 mouthed, 5-gallon cans and shipped to the Seattle laboratory. 

 After removal from the stomach, the weight and volume of the 

 contents were measured, the food species were identified, the 

 percentage composition of each species was evaluated, and all 

 pertinent data for each specimen was entered on a 3-by-5 card. 

 A collection of identified invertebrates and fish, accumulated at 

 the Seattle laboratory for the study of marine mammal food 

 habits, aided identification of food species. Food organisms that 

 could not be identified locally were sent to specialists who examined 

 them and made identifications whenever this was possible. 



If a feeding otter swallows the test, shell, or bony parts of a 

 food organism, the identification of food species may not prove 

 difficult. Such hard parts are usually not crushed sufl^iciently to 

 obliterate all diagnostic characteristics. Often, however, the feed- 

 ing otter discards most or all of the hard parts, making identi- 



