Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. Along riverbanks and waterways, look for five-toed footprints (about 6-7cm long) and droppings or ‘spraints’. Habitat: The Southern Sea Otter can be found in Russia, Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, California, and Oregan. Main Characteristics Of The Sea Otters Anatomy. Unoccupied sea otter habitat in the SJF is mixed habitat, falling somewhere between rocky substrate and sandy bottom (Laidre et al. The otter has a large territory that may be over 10 miles for a dog otter depending on the food supply and cover that it affords. 2002). Sea otters are polygynous: males tend to defend large territories that encompass the ranges of several females. Seeing a dead otter by the side of the road is very sad, but it does indicate that that area is an otter habitat and there may be others living nearby. The southern sea otter, Charlie, was found in 1997 stranded in Northern California, thought to be less than a day old. Occurrences seem to be most common near piers and jetties, which offer both fishing opportunities for people and foraging habitat for sea otters. A sea otter diving and foraging for food or wrapping up in kelp may come into contact with fishing line, hooks, or lures that were lost by fishers, particularly those fishing from shore. Despite their sleek bodies, these mammals can eat food amounting to as much as 25% of their body weight. Sea otter predation on the herbivorous urchins (genus Strongylocentrotus) enables kelp forests and the fish associated with them to flourish. The sea otter, however, rarely comes ashore, according to the San Diego Zoo. Habitat Map Of Where Sea Otters Live Endangered Species Day 2019 Map Shows Threatened Animals Across. Currently there are three subspecies of sea otters: The Russian or Asian sea otter (Enhydra lutris lutris), the Southern Californian sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) and the Northern or Alaskan sea otter (Enhydra lutris keyoni) (Allegra, Rath and Gunderson, 2012; SeaWorld, 2005).Each subspecies has its own range. He died at The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. Pushed to the brink by hunting, habitat destruction and pesticides, the otter almost disappeared from rivers and waterways in England, surviving in small numbers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Northern Sea Otter Species Profile Alaska Department Of Fish And Game. The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis), also known as the northern river otter or common otter, is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to the North American continent found in and along its waterways and coasts. Fish & Wildlife Service listed the southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).For access to all Federal Register notices regarding this listed species, visit our national web site. The map above depicts the areas on the west coast of British Columbia where there are relatively high concentrations of Sea Otter populations. Sea Otter Awareness Week California Academy Of Sciences . Substantial unused Macrocystis and Nereocystis kelp canopy exists east to Dungeness Spit in the SJF extending offshore twice the distance used by sea otters on the outer coast ( Berry et al. Sea otters, Enhydra lutris, rest in kelp forests, in groups called rafts. Habitat suitability ranks of Low (less than 0.34), Medium (0.34-0.66), and High (greater than 0.66) suitability are based on the mean expert opinion suitability value for each habitat type for breeding, foraging, and cover. Their measurements vary depending on the sex. Adult males weight between 22 and 45 kilograms and measure from 1.2 to 1.5 meters.On the other hand the adult females usually weigh between 14 and 33 kilograms, and their length varies from 1 to 1.4 meters.. An otter must eat around 1–1.5kg of prey daily. Most sea otters remain in habitats with rocky substrate, as their prey tend to be more plentiful in these areas. The Sea Otters are in direct competition with fisherman, including first nations, for sea urchins, crabs etc which make up a large portion of the Sea Otters diet. Within this territory the otter will live in dens that are called holts. Often they will drape the kelp over their bodies like a blanket to keep from drifting away. Sea Otter. When he first visited Amchitka Island, he could count anywhere from 50 to 300 sea otters from the shore. Otters are largely solitary, semi-aquatic mammals that get most of their food from lochs, rivers or the sea. 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