304 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 68 



Table 62. — Activity of a captive sea otter in daylight hours, summer (1957) 



and winter {I960) 



[Air temperature: 29 Aug. 1957 at 0515, 52° F. (11° C); at 1200, 70° F. (21.5° C); at 1900, 



66° F. (19° C.)] 



Minutes 



Percent of 



In water On land Total total 



Activity 29 Aug. 21 Jan. 29 Aug. 21 Jan. 29 Aug. 21 Jan. 29 Aug. 21 Jan. 



Grooming : 



Energetic 239 86 100 103 



Languid 106 11 0 17 



445 217 48 40 



Resting : 



Sleeping 19 0 63 13 



Napping 84 19 6 38 



172 70 19 13 



Feeding 81 63 0 0 81 63 9 12 



Exercise: 



Swimming 190 185 0 0 



Walking 0 0 5 0 



Playing 22 5 0 0 



217 190 24 35 



Total 741 369 174 171 915 540 100 100 



(81%) (68%) (19%) (32%) 



Feeding 



Food was placed in the otter's pool at about 0900, 1230, and 

 again in late afternoon if none remained. Food remaining over- 

 night in the pool was eaten by the otter before her regular feeding 

 time. Feeding activity was most intense shortly after fresh food 

 was placed in the pool. At other times, food items were retrieved 

 from the bottom and eaten. 



Exercise (swimming) 



Like many zoo animals, the sea otter developed an exercise 

 routine during which she circled her pool. In a certain place she 

 would dive, in another she rose to the surface and turned, swam 

 a short distance on the surface, then dived to complete the circuit. 

 If a number of visitors stood near the fence by her pool, the 

 exercise routine might include a vertical rise with one forepaw 

 on the pool edge while she glanced at the visitors. This was also 

 done before feeding time, when she glanced in the direction from 

 which the keeper would come. Occasionally the otter left the pool 

 to walk briefly about her enclosure. Such short walks did not 

 follow a set pattern similar to the swimming routine. Play was 

 recorded when the otter picked up leaves, peanut shells, or a 

 scrap of paper and with her teeth and f orepaws bandied it about ; 

 also when small rocks were retrieved from the bottom of the 

 pool and pounded in an apparently aimless way on the edge of 

 the pool. This activity apparently became an exercise routine. 



