However, just because an otter is spotted on the coast does not mean its a sea otter. Sea otters are mainly native to the northeastern seaboards of the Pacific Ocean, so they arent spotted in areas like the East Coast or the Gulf of Mexico. We also share helpful tips and guides on a variety of topics related to animals and nature. Sea otters spend the majority of their time in the ocean, while river otters spend their lives on land unless they need to hunt or travel elsewhere. While members of both otter subtypes love to swim, the swimming behaviors they engage in are quite distinct. Strange as it may seem, mating is a relatively common cause of death for female sea otters as well. Partially due to that, its believed to be the most endangered cetacean in the world, a category that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. But no, the strange sea otter attacks on baby seals are a reality and have even made their way into the technical literature. North American River Otter In addition, sea otters tend to live in small to large familial groups, but river otters, especially males, are more territorial, and while they will be social, they prefer solitary lives or in small family groups. The largest river otters weigh in at around thirty pounds. A river otter mother usually has between two and three babies, called pups. We focus on how to be proactive in finding solutions. Youll have a very simple time determining if you are looking at an otter from a true seal with one or two of those factors. Watch Five Giant River Otters Face-Off Against a Huge Jaguar, Watch a Group of Massive River Otters Defeat a Crocodile in Vicious Battle, River Otter vs Sea Otter: 5 Key Differences. River otters, despite their name, can be found in fresh and salt water. If you travel further north to areas like the Alaskan seaboard, you could even find males weighing up to 100 pounds! Why are these male sea otters killing seals? And always keep in mind where youre looking if youre at the ocean, chances are youre looking at a sea otter as opposed to a river otter. Lets take a look and some similarities, and differences, between these two amazingly fascinating animals! River otters keep their young safe by their side and in dens that they build on riverbanks, while sea otter moms typically keep their pups nestled on their stomachs as they float until they are old enough to swim on their own. Its without a doubt that otters are some of the most adorable mammals to ever grace the planet. With this insight, you should have a better grasp as to what makes both river otters and sea otters special. They are also known as fin-footed mammals. Asian small-clawed otters spend more of their time on land than in water, which helps keep a stable body temperature. They are very different from other mammals that share the seals name or lineage. A sea otter also has a shorter tail than a river otter, and river otters are narrower in their body mass. Otters are one of the most fascinating and charismatic marine mammal species. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Who will you choose? River otters and sea otters have different lifespans. Both species face threats of pollution, habitat loss, and reduced food sources. Taxonomically speaking, river otters and sea otters are different genera. The marine creatures also serve as fighters of climate change: their main preysea urchinslike to eat kelp, so by keeping the sea urchin population at a sustainable level, they keep kelp forests lush. River otters also reach sexual maturity earlier and are typically able to reproduce sooner than sea otters. There are quite a few to discuss, as river otters and sea otters belong to different genuses of animal. When seen for the first time, the Adlie penguin gives you the impression of a very smart little man. River otters tend to eat frogs, fish, crayfish, reptiles, and birds. These animals use both fur and blubber to keep warm, and that is one of many ways to differentiate between true seals and others. There are over 70 different species of cetacean. The limbs are modified into flippers. Sea otters carry their young on their stomachs to keep them safe until they are ready to swim by themselves. Please try It is slow moving, floats when killed, and is full of oil and baleen. True seals use blubber deposits under their skin to keep themselves warm when theyre in the water, which is quite often. When I'm not writing personally or professionally, you can find me camping along the Oregon coast with my high school sweetheart and Chihuahua mix, or in my home kitchen, perfecting recipes in a gleaming cast iron skillet. Not to mention that we nearly eradicated sea otters out of lust for their pelts, and we continue to keep dolphins confined in small, hard-walled, unhealthy environments for nothing more than our amusement. Sea otters have the densest fur in the entire animal kingdom with up to one million hairs covering each square inch of their body. how to cancel quizlet subscription; denver criminal court docket; cody and caleb martin salary; how to remove a backwards bullet from the chamber The sea otter we know is quite a bit larger in stature than the average river otter, the largest adults weighing up to 100lbs, heavier even than the largest river otter, the Giant otter (Pteroneura brasiliensis). (Major seas are known as oceans.) For example, sea otters are much larger than river otters in both length and weight. They can grow up to 4 feet and weigh up to 70 pounds. As 2022 comes to a close, I am reflecting on everything weve accomplished together on behalf, Climate change touches many aspects of our lives, including the food on our plates. difference between sea otter and penguin. The victims that were necropsied by veterinarians had lesions around the nose, eyes, flippers, and genitals, including perforations in the vaginal and rectal tracts. The rehabilitated sea otters were released into an environment of intense competition and were at a disadvantage when it came time to find a mate. In what promises to be two close matches, Sea Otter will face off against Penguin, and ThinkProgress office-favorite Sea Horse will battle the severely endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. The distinction between these two is important: the sea otter will spend its entire life floating in the ocean, swimming, feeding, and reproducing. The sea otter does, however, have a shorter tail than the river otter. We focus on how to be proactive in finding solutions. We shouldn't draw the curtains over the aspects of animal behavior. Their diets are reminiscent of their environments. Theyre even known to wrap their babies in kelp to keep them safe and warm while theyre off hunting, and as the Marine Mammal Center describes, these pups end up bobbing up and down on the surface of the ocean like little corks! There are twelve different sub-species of river otter, but only three separate sub-species of the sea otter. Although seals and otters are often believed to be related, the truth is that they belong to completely different . Animals Differences and Comparison for Kids. Its Easy To Do. Asian small-clawed otters have a body length of 30-45 cm (12-18 inches) and a tail length of 15-25 cm (6-10 inches). A post shared by (@seaotter_03112602). Both species face threats of pollution, habitat loss, and reduced food sources. Asian small-clawed otters are just the opposite. Otters have dense fur that keeps them warm while seals have blubber that is deposited under the skin that keeps them warm. Asian-small clawed otters can be found in India, China, and parts of Southeast Asia. : Love to snack on small fish found close to shore banks, as well as amphibians such as frogs, and crustaceans such as crawdads. Theyre both known for spending a lot of time in the water, something that is unusual for mammals that dont spend their entire lives in water. Both are marine mammals and have lungs that they use to breathe. Another motherly difference is how these two creatures care for their young. In the U.S. the dwarf seahorse, one-inch-long seahorse, found in seagrass beds in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida and the Caribbean, is threatened with extinction due to decline of seagrass and lingering pollution from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. At Rocky Shores you can explore a far Northwest world where land and ocean meet; where sea lions dive, seals splash and otters play. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Site by Thrive Web Designs, Otters are one of the most fascinating and charismatic marine mammal species. Keep reading to learn more about what makes each of these species unique. Young cattle egrets will peck and harass weaker siblings, going so far to push them out of the nest and to their doom. The sea otter is the largest member of the weasel family. Whereas a female southern sea otter grows up to 50 pounds, a female northern sea otter can weigh up to 70 pounds. River otters build dens on the riverbanks and care for their young there. Please try
Sea otters are larger than river otters. The most famous in the United States, the California seal lion can be found all along the West coast of North America. To meet the wonderful sloths that call SeaQuest home, book your visit today at any of the following locations: Best Birthday Party Places in Fort Worth! Seals are larger than otters on average, and the largest members of the species make otters look positively tiny. SeaQuest is committed to protecting our worlds oceans and endangered animals. With 13 species around the world, you can find an otter species located on almost every continent! Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for W178 CENTEX Centex Charmyland Saru Gorilla Sea Otter Walrus Penguin Rockhoppe at the best online prices at eBay! It may seem obvious, but the best way to tell if youre looking at a river otter or a sea otter is just paying attention to the body of water youre observing! The Key Differences Between Seal vs Otter. Lets dive in and get started! Male river otters are extremely territorial, while sea otters form more friendships and bonds with one another overall. Giant Otter Giant Otters are the largest otter species and are very similar to large river otters. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. The naturalistic fallacy refers to the misguided belief that whatever is natural is good. Their slow, quiet and sudden way. Sea Otter: We mentioned last time that sea otters are threatened by toxic algal blooms, which are exacerbated by climate change. Habitat loss, water pollution, deforestation, and hunting threaten their survival. Adult sea otters may grow up to 5 feet in . Sea otters must groom regularly to help maintain the insulation. However, seals split their time on land and in the water almost evenly. Parents can be as bad as siblings. The word pinniped means fin-footed or flipper-footed. However, river otters prefer to eat fish, frogs, crayfish, birds, and reptiles, while sea otters enjoy sea urchins, clams, crabs, and seaweed. They give birth on the land. Together, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. unit 3: personal and business finance grade boundaries. While both animals are classified as otters, river otters are members of the Lontra genus, and sea otters are members of the Enhydra genus. Plus, their overall diets, lifespans, and locations differ from one another, not to mention how different they are in appearance! The former can reach up to 5.6 mph (9 kph) underwater, while the latter, in North America, has a maximum speed of 8.7 mph (14 kph). If a male cant find a mate because of his youth or inability to chase off competitors, Harris and co-authors suggest, he might search for a female surrogate that may take the form of a young otter or, as in their study, seal pups. These two similarly named and look-alike animals are, in fact, very different. Warming oceans and changing marine conditions due to climate change and ocean acidification make it harder for the whale, which has an exceptionally long migratory and gestation period, to prosper and further threaten the species survival. In 2010, California Department of Fish and Game biologist Heather Harris and colleagues reported 19 individual cases of male sea otters trying to mate with, and often fatally injuring, harbor seal pups in the Monterey Bay, Calif. area between 2000 and 2002 alone. Decades of efforts to help the dark gray baleen whale recover through international protection have done little to improve the species prospects. 2022 Georgia Aquarium 225 Baker Street Northwest, Atlanta, GA. Georgia Aquarium is a nonprofit committed to inspiring awareness and preservation of our ocean and aquatic animals worldwide. Otters and seals have many things in common. Peregrine FalconDay 104/1: TBDDay 114/2: TBDDay 124/3: THE FINAL FOUR: TBDDay 134/6: THE CHAMPIONSHIP: TBD, PAST ROUNDS:Round 7: Sweet Sixteen, part 2Round 6: Sweet Sixteen, part 1Round 5: Shells and WingsRound 4: Horns and HoovesRound 3: Fins and FlippersRound 2: Paws and Claws, part 2Round 1: Paws and Claws, part 1, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Maintained by Center for American Progress - Action Fund. Levick recorded these behaviors as aberrations from the norm of nature. It lives with its family for about a year. Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Only your votes can decide who moves on for a chance at a deep-dive feature story. Not only is this useful for staying together, but it also keeps them away from the shore where many of their predators reside. : Feed on frogs, crabs, crayfish, and shellfish. Most immediately noticeable is the difference in fur types river otters have short, sleek fur, while sea otters are distinctly 'fluffy', with long, fuzzy fur that's extremely dense and warm. Graduating Southern Oregon University with a BFA in Theatre and a specialization in creative writing, I have an invested interest in a variety of topics, particularly Pacific Northwest history. The Caribbean monk seal was declared. The Asian small-clawed otter is "slimmer" and smaller, with smooth fur and a face that looks like it is smiling. While it may seem obvious at first, you may not know all of the differences between a river otter vs sea otter. The Caribbean monk seal was declared extinct in 2008. You might not be able to tell by looking at them, but river otters and sea otters have very different fur. Otter belongs to the Mustelidae family while the seal belongs to the Phocidae family. * {{quote-news, year=2013, date=April 9, author=Andrei Lankov, title=Stay Cool. Im going to ruin sea otters for you. They move to land to escape some predators like sharks. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. YES! Sea otters are generally diurnal. Not only do these two creatures have different habitats, but they have both evolved fur to best suit those habitats. For example, sea lions are sometimes believed to be seals, but that is not the case. All otters must continually groom their fur to maintain its insulating qualities. This makes them very different animals, especially when you consider the fact that sea otters are the only members of their genus. Without a doubt, dolphins are jerks. What we might perceive as aberrant behavior starts earlyespecially violence. There is no animal that is made of rainbows and kisses and goodness all the way through. You may already have an idea as to what makes river otters and sea otters look so different from one another. They are comparatively smaller in body size. Otters and seals share many things such as they are both mammals and have the same physical appearance although they are different from each other. To meet the wonderful sloths that call SeaQuest home, book your visit today at any of the following locations: Utah, Las Vegas, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Connecticut, Lynchburg, New Jersey, and Atlanta. : Most all seal species are carnivorous. They include; weasels, badgers, wolverines, and polecats. When it comes to distinguishing between river otters and sea otterswell, what is the difference, anyway? : Feed on crabs, clams, mussels, sea urchins, and abalone. I'm a freelance writer with 8 years of experience. Search. Giant Otters are the largest otter species and are very similar to large river otters. The marine otter simply lives near the ocean, diving in only to feed. RETWEET for Whale or FAVE for Sea Horse #CPMarchSadness http://t.co/lzQh1SAaxZ pic.twitter.com/WPiCEtbbDt, ***TOURNAMENT UPDATES:Day 13/19: Paws and Claws pt. Do you think you can tell the difference if you saw them side-by-side? Seals belong to the Phocidae family, and otters belong to the Mustelidae family. While it may be obvious, river otters are found in rivers while sea otters are found in the sea. Sea otters also notably have two very large back feet, webbed and streamlined for paddling and swift swimming in unpredictable ocean waters. With the help of donors like you, Ocean Conservancy is developing innovative solutions to save our ocean. Wildlife Informer is reader-supported. And amorous males of various species, including the noble lion, kill infants to make their mothers available for breeding again. Sea otters are slow swimmers, while their river-living counterparts are rather agile. What is Our Oceans Role in the Transition to Clean Energy? Privacy Policy. Though most species occur in cold-water environments. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They include; walrus, eared seals, sea lions, fur seals, and earless seals. Members of Phocidae are known as earless seals or true seals. Otters are comparatively smaller while seals are larger in body size. Their gestation period is between 60 to 86 days. Both types of otters need their coats to form a layer of insulation that traps air to keep them warm, and they certainly need it when areas like the Pacific dip to chilly temperatures that are often between 35 and 60 (and even lower than that as you move up the coast toward Alaska and Canada)! Levick was aghast because he viewed the penguins in human termsas little gents and dames dressed to the nines. They weigh 1-5 kg (2-11 pounds). They are not very graceful on land because of their flippers, but they manage to move very well in the water. Sea otters also have thicker fur, often with white markings, while river otters have sleeker fur to match their streamlined bodies. Your best bet for differentiating these animals is to look for their ears, flippers, tails, size, and fur. Otters have long bodies and short legs, while seals have shorter bodies and longer flippers. (label) A large number or quantity; a vast amount.A sea of faces stared back at the singer. They are purely carnivorous and eat a hefty diet of fish, crabs, small caimans, and small anacondas. You might think an otter is an otter, but hopefully, this article showed you that while two creatures can be called otters, they are very different. They spend their lives in water, and have many adaptations to their entirely aquatic lifestyle. Decreasing sea ice cover is preventing Emperor penguins from finding food and sheltering their babies. Their gestation period lasts between 9 to 12 months. In desperation, some male Adlie penguins tried to mate with the ground until they ejaculated. The largest sea otters can weigh up to one hundred pounds, but river otters are much smaller. And baby Magellanic penguins in Argentina are dying at an unprecedented rate due to heavy rains, strong storms and heat. The Northern sea otter and the Southern sea otter, but in actuality, this is the one and only species of otter that is a lifelong ocean-dweller. At least two of the sea otters had been previously held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium as part of their rehabilitation program for stranded and injured otters. Additionally, sea otters spend the vast majority of their lives in the water, while river otters spend most of theirs on land, venturing into the water for tasks like hunting for food and traveling. However, river otters can swim in saltwater if there is an ocean near their preferred river habitat. Otters spend a substantial amount of time grooming, and many species of river otters have designated areas on land for . Considered a cousin of the weasel, otters are known for their elongated bodies, webbed feet, and playful antics, particularly their love of sliding down rocks, banks, or waterfalls. Both seals and otters can vary a great deal in their sizes owing to their various species. Otter and seals belong to different families. The dark sides of otters, dolphins, and penguins are just as much a part of their nature as the parts we find so squee-inducingly adorable. All pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses) are protected in U.S. waters under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to NOAA. Who will win? In fact, the largest members of the seal species make otters look quite tiny. But how do we tell the difference between river otters and sea otters? They consume around 10 lbs of food per day. The salty crew of Deep Sea News has been trying to counteract the cuddly image of dolphins for years. One thing many people dont realize is just how much larger sea otters are compared to river otters. They are found in Eastern North and Northern Pacific Ocean. Alaska sea otters are slightly larger than . The pups learn their mothers voice to avoid confusion of the mother feeding another seals pups. Considered a cousin of the weasel, otters are known for their elongated bodies, webbed feet, and playful antics, particularly their love of sliding down rocks, banks, or waterfalls. Sea otters have an average lifespan of 12-15 years in the wild while river otters live an average of 9-12 years. A painful and confusing end for the poor pups. The seal and otter are two animals that both love to call water home and have a face that can tell a thousand stories! They display sexual dimorphism. Daily activities focus on feeding and grooming, interspersed with rest periods. Such behavior led ornithologist Douglas Mock and colleagues to write Occasionally, the pen of natural selection writes a murder mystery on the pages of evolution. Dolphins have tried to force themselves on human swimmers, a prospect made all the more terrifying by the fact that they have prehensile penises. Otters fur has guard hairs on the outside layer that are used to keep them protected from moisture and to maintain body temperature. Most immediately noticeable is the difference in fur types river otters have short, sleek fur, while sea otters are distinctly fluffy, with long, fuzzy fur thats extremely dense and warm. One of the main differences between a river otter vs sea otter is their species or genus classification. They have a fat layer called blubber under their skin that makes them keep themselves warm during the cold season. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. Otters webbed paws are interesting because sea otters will hold hands with their partners, so they dont drift too far apart from their group. For as cute as they are while intertwining paws at an aquarium, frolicking among the wafting fronds of California kelp forests, or smashing sea urchins open with stones, some sea otters have developed the disturbing habit of humping and drowning baby seals. This only gets creepier given the recent suggestion that dolphins actually have names that they call one another. If you see a vast creature, then its probably a seal and not an otter. There are many distinguishing features between a river otter vs sea otter. hold hands with other otters so they dont drift apart, Watch Five Giant River Otters Face-Off Against a Huge Jaguar, Watch a Group of Massive River Otters Defeat a Crocodile in Vicious Battle, Weight: 10lbs-99lbs Length: 2ft-6ft, Blubber deposits under the skin keep true seals warm, -Dense fur that has two layers, guard hairs, and insulating underfur, Spend equal amounts of time on land and in the water, Spend the vast majority of their time in the water.
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