Quick Facts
- Type
- Mammal
- Size
- 1–1.5 m long
- Weight
- 14–45 kg
- Habitat
- Coastal waters and kelp forests of the North Pacific
- Diet
- Sea urchins, crabs, clams, and other shellfish
- Active Time
- Active by day (diurnal)
- Lifespan
- 10–20 years
Field Notes
- Sea otters have the densest fur of any animal, with up to a million hairs per square inch.
- They use rocks as tools to smash open clams and shellfish on their bellies.
- They sometimes hold paws while sleeping so they don't drift apart.
About the Sea Otter
The sea otter is a marine mammal of the northern Pacific coast and the smallest marine mammal in the world. Lacking a thick blubber layer, it relies on the densest fur of any animal to stay warm, with up to a million hairs per square inch. It spends most of its life in the water, floating on its back to rest, eat, and even sleep, sometimes holding paws with others to avoid drifting apart. Famously, it uses rocks as tools to crack open shellfish on its chest.
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