Intermediate Mammals - Part III

My collection of water mammals is somewhat limited. I had both a mink and a couple of nutrias but, cannot find them, so ....  (Thank goodness for Digital and iPhoto now). 

Anyway, starting with the Otters.  The Sea Otter  is found along the northern coasts of the Pacific Ocean. Adult Sea Otters weigh between 30 and 100 pounds making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, although still one of the smallest marine mammals. Unlike most marine mammals, the Sea Otter's primary form of insulation is an exceptionally thick coat of fur, the densest in the animal kingdom. Although it can walk on land, the sea otter lives mostly in the ocean. The Sea Otter inhabits nearshore environments where it dives to the sea floor to forage. It preys mostly upon marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, molluscs, and crustaceans. Sea Otters were hunted extensively for their fur between 1741 and 1911, and the world population fell to 1,000–2,000 (from about 300,000). Oil spills in the North Pacific have also taken its toll. Consequently the Sea Otter is classified as an "endangered species" and there is an international ban on hunting them.

Sea Otter

photo taken in Puget Sound, Washington

The Northern River Otter is a semi-aquatic (equally versatile in the water and on land) member of the weasel family found in and along the waterways and coasts of North America.  An adult River Otter can weigh up to 30 pounds making it much smaller than the Sea Otter. Like the Sea Otter, the River Otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur. The River Ottter makes a burrow close to the water's edge in river, lake, swamp, coastal shoreline, tidal flat, or estuary ecosystems. Their dens have many tunnel openings—one of which generally allows the otter to enter and exit the body of water. Female otters give birth in these underground burrows, producing litters of one to six young. North American River Otters prey mostly upon fish, but also consume various amphibians, turtles, and crayfish. Also like the Sea Otter, the River Otter's population has declined significantly due to trapping and habitat loss. A number of reintroduction projects have been initiated to help stabilize the reduction in the overall River Otter population. The River Otter is more social than the Sea Otter as evidence by this photo of three adult River Otters sharing what appears to be a 30 pound King Salmon:

Northern River Otter

photo taken on the Columbia River

in the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge

in Southwest Washington / Northwest Oregon