![]() While young otters swim naturally, the mother must coax them into the water for their first swim. ![]() At this point, they eat solid food but are not completely weaned for another month or two. Pups grow rapidly and emerge from the den at about 2 months of age. River otters stay in family groups during the summer and early fall. The male otter is generally chased away until the young are weaned and old enough to leave the riverbank, at which time they may return and help raise the pups. They weigh about 4 to 6 ounces (113 to 170 grams) at birth and measure 8 to 11 inches (20 to 28 centimeters). Young are born between April and May and arrive silky black, blind, toothless and totally helpless. The den is usually dug into the bank of a stream but can be an old beaver's lodge, muskrat house or hollow tree. Otter births occur most frequently in March or April.įemale otters prepare dens that they keep scrupulously clean. What is clear is that there is a delayed implantation of nine to 11 months, with actual gestation taking about 60 days. Other research maintains that river otters mate for life.ĭifferent studies have placed the breeding season in winter, late spring and summer. Some studies indicate that river otters pair for only a few months during the breeding season and have no further strong bonds. Today, sea otters are protected by law.Information about river otter breeding and reproductive and social behavior is varied due to the difficulty of studying these animals in the wild. Early in the 20th century only 1,000 to 2,000 animals remained. Sea otters were hunted for their fur to the point of near extinction. This coat is invaluable to otters, but it has worth to some humans as well. Sea otters have thick underfur that traps air to form an insulating layer against the chilly waters (they have no insulating fat). They have good reason to take care of their coats-it helps them to remain waterproof and insulated against the cold. After eating, they wash themselves in the ocean, cleaning their coat with their teeth and paws. They hold infants on their chests to nurse them, and quickly teach them to swim and hunt. Mothers nurture their young while floating on their backs. Sea otters are the only otters to give birth in the water. They also dine on such aquatic creatures as sea urchins, crabs, squid, octopuses, and fish. Otters will place the rock on their chests, and repeatedly smash the shellfish against it until it breaks open to reveal the tasty meal inside. They are often seen with a clam or mussel and a rock that has been deftly snared from the ocean floor. ![]() These aquatic otters do more than sleep while floating on their backs. Otters sometimes float in forests of kelp, or giant seaweed, in which they entangle themselves to provide anchorage in the swirling sea. They sleep this way, often gathered in groups. Sea otters often float at the water's surface, lying on their backs in a posture of serene repose. Sea otters have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. The sea otter spends most of its time in the water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest. This aquatic member of the weasel family is found along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia.
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