THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 301 



Figure 114. — Juvenile otters learned begging behavior within a day or two 

 after capture. The paws were held up and when a piece of fish was thrown 

 (in circle) the otters attempted to catch the food. Sometimes a food item 

 was caught by the paws, but usually it struck the chest. (KWK 59-14-13) 



no more than one foreleg above the surface, she could quickly 

 snatch all the food from the chest of a large juvenile floating and 

 eating on the surface. After repeated treatment v^ith the stick, 

 she learned not to rob her pool mates as long as an attendant 

 stood near the pool v^ith the stick. 



Kirkpatrick et al. (1955) described hov^ captives ate a variety 

 of food items. During our studies at Amchitka, fishes (head and 

 viscera removed) v^eighing a pound or less, were the most fre- 

 quently offered food. Young animals often had difl^culty in cutting 

 the fishes' tough skin and reducing the flesh to bite-sized chunks. 

 The fish v^as held betv^een the forepav^s, v^hile the chunks, torn 

 from the body with the canines and incisors, were crushed by the 

 postcanines before swallowing. Bones were often discarded. When 

 whole fish were given, the viscera were not eaten. Sometimes the 

 tail and skin of the fish were eaten. As noted by Stullken and 

 Kirkpatrick (1955), only bones, shells, and calcareous spines 

 passed through undigested. 



