Although many of the bears are content with scavenging dead otters, some have, over the years, developed a taste for fresh otter meat.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'factsking_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_9',134,'0','0'])); Eared seals, also referred to as otariids, are another predator of sea otters. They are known to eat clams, mussels, crabs, octopus, sea urchins, snails, and fat innkeeper worms. This competition has seen brown bears, which are quite adaptable, begin to prey on sea otters. The two are directly related in that sea otters prey on sea urchins, which in turn can help foster kelp beds because urchins feast on kelp. Eagles may also grab young otters if given the opportunity. Upon returning to the surface, they float on their backs, with the rock on the stomachs. Although sea otters can walk comfortably on land, they prefer to live solely in the ocean. Today, they roam the American continent’s mountains and forests. They have a thick fur coat that acts as their primary insulation. However, with the decline in sea otter populations, bald eagles have to turn to marine fish. Which means that, despite their fur coats, they tend to lose heat quickly, and need lots of energy to stay warm. River otters and giant otters hunt by using their vibrissae to detect movements of prey in the water. They burn calories at three times the rate of humans and must consume 20-30% of their body weight daily. All in all, the sea otter preys on at least 100 different marine species. Many farmers and ranchers regard them as destructive pests because they kill calves, lambs, and other livestock, as well as pets.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'factsking_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_5',131,'0','0'])); Bald eagles reside in their numbers along the Aleutian archipelago off the Alaskan coast. With incredibly high energy requirements, sea otters must consume approximately 25% of their bodyweight in prey each day just to stay alive. Sea otters inhabit the environments near shores where they dive to the floor of the sea to forage. In total, ott… Influence of sea otters on soft-bottom prey communities in southeast Alaska Rikk G. Kvitek, John S. Oliver Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. This decline has seen sea urchins increase in number because sea otters are their main predator. This study took advantage of the otters' relatively sudden arrival in the area near Santa Cruz, California, to monitor their prey selection in the first two years of residence there. a-Sea … Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. While feeding, Californian sea lions often cooperate with other species such as sea birds and dolphins.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'factsking_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_6',133,'0','0'])); Killer whales have not always preyed on sea otters. Their diet varies according to regions and has changed significantly through time. They have a unique foraging habit because they use rocks to kill their prey. While several other consumers (e.g. Other than sea otters, eared seals also feed on krill (an animal that closely resembles a shrimp), lobsters, crabs, crustaceans such as shrimps, and fish, among others.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'factsking_com-leader-2','ezslot_10',135,'0','0'])); White shark attacks are a leading cause of death among sea otters, especially in California. Research has shown that sea otters are vital to the health of carbon-absorbing kelp forests. They eat about 25% of their weight in food each day due to their accelerated metabolism. Sometimes, though, otters get caught fishermen’s nets.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'factsking_com-box-4','ezslot_4',129,'0','0'])); One of the biggest predators of sea otters are coyotes. Because they are not exposed to predators, and do not have to forage for prey, they are provided with environmental enrichment in their habitat to keep them enterta… Methods of Collecting Food. This has led to a decline in sea otter numbers, especially in western Alaska. Otters eat up to 30 percent of their body weight each day, and when they prey on lots of shellfish and urchins, kelp forests can regrow and give salmon and rockfish and others a place to stay. Sea otters have a baggy patch of skin under their forelimbs which is used for storage. As a result, the population of sea otters along the Californian coast has significantly decreased, raising concerns among conservationists. These small creatures will be captured by sea otters when they dive, and brought to the surface. Most sea lions aren’t picky eaters and feed a wide range of seafood. The predators that Otters will encounter depend on where they happen to live. Below are eight of sea otters’ predators. A companion study published in PeerJ in 2019 found that the entire bay has enough prey to feed about 6,600 sea otters. To hunt prey, sea otters have been known to dive as deep as 320 feet; however, males mostly forage at depths of around 260 feet and females about 180 feet. However, these two have experienced a significant decline in their population. Initially, they would use homemade weapons and arrows. Sea otters eat about 25% of their weight every day, and is arguably the number one cause in sea otter deaths, when they cannot forage enough food to feed themselves. Thus, the sea otter is one of the very few mammals to make an effective use of tools (t… Coyotes have a strong sense of smell and excellent vision. ( Log Out /  Humans hunt sea otters for their meat and fur. Also, they prey on snakes, carrion, grass, and fruit. Their diet varies according to regions and has changed significantly through time. Others, such as commercial fishermen, consider otters as competitors out to reduce their catch. To meet it’s high energetic and thermoregulation demands, a sea otter’s metabolic rate is 2 to 3 times that of comparatively sized mammals. During winter and fall, coyotes form packs to make their hunting more effective.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'factsking_com-banner-1','ezslot_3',130,'0','0'])); Apart from sea otters, coyotes eat just about anything, including deer, frogs, fish, rodents, and rabbits. Sea lions are another major predator of sea otters. They place their nests on shoreline sea stacks, coastal cliffs, and islets. PO Box 450. Researchers working in Alaska’s Katmai Coast have discovered a surprising new interaction between mammals on small islands off the coast: grizzly bears are preying on sea otters. ( Log Out /  They use the rock as a table against which they smash their shelled prey to … In most of its range, the sea otter's diet consists almost exclusively of marine benthic invertebrates, including sea urchins, fat innkeeper worms, a variety of bivalves such as clams and mussels, abalone, other mollusks, crustaceans, and snails. Adults weigh up to 99 pounds and are the weasel family’s heaviest animals, but strangely the smallest of all marine mammals. Different from true seals, they have external ear flaps. Eagles can be a problem too for the smaller Otters and the young. Bald eagles’ diet was once predominantly sea otter pups and kelp forest fish. Sea otters eat between 20-35% of their own body weight daily. The primary diet of sea otters consists of aquatic invertebrates including crustaceans, sea urchins, mollusks and fish. They open the shells of some of their prey, with stones and a piece of wood. A Sea Otter's Diet. However, average prey capture success rates on foraging bouts were significantly lower for subadult sea otters (63% ±5%) than for adult sea otters (82% ± 1%; P < 0.001). Scientists have sought to establish why white sharks would be attacking sea otters, yet they don’t feed on them. Today, most people use traps for hunting them.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'factsking_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',128,'0','0'])); Some people hunt otters just for the thrill of killing them. Sea otters are carnivores that feed on an array of marine species—mostly invertebrates like crabs, clams, urchins, snails and worms. If you are interested, visit the Animal Facts Page! Change ), Sea Otters and Their Role in the Ecosystem. Whales Prey On Sea Otters October 15, 1998 / 6:05 PM / AP Killer whales that normally hunt seals and sea lions are now feeding on sea otters … Sea otters are foragers that eat mostly hard-shelled invertebrates, including sea urchins and a variety of clams, mussels, and crabs. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are not like other marine mammals. Sea otters eat a wide variety of prey, including marine invertebrates such as echinoderms ( sea stars and sea urchins), crustaceans (e.g., crabs), cephalopods (e.g., squid), bivalves (clams, mussels, abalone), gastropods (snails), and chitons. Sea otters are provided a varied diet while in human care. They use rocks for dislodging prey and opening shells, making them among the few mammals that use tools. They, therefore, kill otters so they can’t eat the fish and other sea creatures. A large proportion of this prey consists of filter-feeders, such as mussels and clams. Sea otters dive to rocky reefs, where they collect invertebrates and also a large rock. In environments where sea otter populations have been reintroduced, tall kelp forests are flourishing. They can run at 40 miles an hour, making them exceptional hunters. Sea otters consume a wide variety of benthic invertebrates. Part of sea otters’ high susceptibility to exposure is due to their diet. The increased sea urchin population has led to a decrease in kelp densities. Other than sea otters, sea lions prey on squids, whiting, lamprey, herring, dogfish, anchovy, rockfish, sandlance, arrowtooth flounder, salmon, and clams, among others. Giant otters often hold their prey in their paws while eating it. Predators and Prey of the Sea Otter The sea otter’s diet includes about 40 marine species, including urchins, crabs, clams, abalones, mussels, and snails. Besides, they also prefer to eat crabs, large barnacles, mussels, snails, tubeworms, clams, squid, octopuses, chitons, scallops, sea cucumbers, sea stars and abalone. If sea otter populations in these areas continue to decline, what might happen with populations of sea urchins and kelp?  The sea otter’s predator depends on where the specific sea otter lives.         The sea otter’s diet includes about 40 marine species, including urchins, crabs, clams, abalones, mussels, and snails. Sea otters prey on urchins, which consume kelp. Their favorite prey has always been sea lions and seals. of food daily. Sea otters consume over 100 prey species. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.  In the Arctic, killer whales often dine on sea otters, while in the Californian coast, great white sharks consume many otters each year. They prey on crustaceans by using pairs of rocks to crush the outer shells, easily accessing the soft flesh inside.  Sea otters eat about 25% of their weight every day, and is arguably the number one cause in sea otter deaths, when they cannot forage enough food to feed themselves. 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