While they are both otters, river otters belong to the Lontra genus, while sea otters belong to the Enhydra genus. Many people don't know the difference between sea otters and river otters but, with a little info, you'll be able to tell right away. A sea otter can grow to be up to 4 feet long, while a river otter only grows to be about 2.5 feet long. Lets talk more about all of these differences in more detail now. 2. Wannabe mother primates may steal the baby of another and unintentionally starve that infant in a phenomenon called aunting to death. Dominant wild dogs may kill the offspring of subordinate members of the pack to make sure the alphas infants get the most food. Seahorse: Last time we talked about seahorses, we mentioned their fragile coastal ecosystemscoral reefs and mangroves, for instance, are especially vulnerable to disturbances brought on by warming ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, and increased flooding. Sea otters must groom regularly to help maintain the insulation. Together, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. They are very different from other mammals that share the seals name or lineage. As ethologist Sarah Hrdy has observed, there are various reasons for infanticide. Thank you for reading! This inner layer keeps them warm, and the outer layer keeps them waterproof. Did you know that sea otters mate for life? Not only do these two creatures have different habitats, but they have both evolved fur to best suit those habitats. There are 13 species of otters in the world, with 12 of those species requiring access to freshwater and only one species residing in the ocean. Answers: These three are all sea otters (credit: Deanna Lynch/USFWS) while the first and last photos in this blog are river otters (credit: Barry Troutman). Sea otters also notably have two very large back feet, webbed and streamlined for paddling and swift swimming in unpredictable ocean waters. However, when you add seals that arent true seals to the mix, the presence of ears can be a confounding factor. The Caribbean monk seal was declared extinct in 2008. Darwin knew this well. Sea otters are generally diurnal. On the other hand, there are 12 different species of river otter found around the world, from the North American river otter to the Japanese river otter to the Asian small-clawed otter. They are agile and flexible due to their four limbs and streamlined bodies. What is Our Oceans Role in the Transition to Clean Energy? Decreasing sea ice cover is preventing Emperor penguins from finding food and sheltering their babies. The seal and otter are two animals that both love to call water home and have a face that can tell a thousand stories! A final difference between a river otter vs sea otter lies in their social behaviors and mating habits. In addition to the difference in fur, river otters and sea otters have other differences in appearance. Sea otters are slow swimmers, while their river-living counterparts are rather agile. Enter your email and never miss an update. Conversely, river otters mate with multiple partners during the course of their lives. Their familial units are very strong, while river otters tend to lead solitary lives. While members of both otter subtypes love to swim, the swimming behaviors they engage in are quite distinct. They move to land to escape some predators like sharks. Sea otters have the densest fur in the entire animal kingdom with up to one million hairs covering each square inch of their body. What we might perceive as aberrant behavior starts earlyespecially violence. North American River Otter Since southern sea otters are found in cooler waters, its important for their fur to be able to insulate them from the weather. If dolphins really disappeared tomorrow, as in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series, I think their final message would be Screw You rather than the So Long, And Thanks for All the Fish farewell Douglas Adams imagined. Im not saying any of this to put down these animals. Natural represents the world as it should besomething we feel estranged from and strive to get back. All pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses) are protected in U.S. waters under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to NOAA. Sea otters are hardly the only marine animals to behave in ways that make us cringe. I'm a freelance writer with 8 years of experience. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The key differences between seals and otters are size, family, and their method of thermoregulation. We focus on how to be proactive in finding solutions. Seals have flippers, no visible external ears, and a very small tail. While visiting Adlie penguins rookeries, Levick was shocked by the activities of what he called hooligan cocks. Males accosted and copulated with other males, females that were injured, chicks that had tumbled from their nests, and corpses. Sea otters also have longer bodies than river otters. River otters also eat a different diet when compared to sea otters. A 2010 study found that a toxin found in blue-green algae called microcystin had killed at least 21 California sea otters. Asian small-clawed otters have relatively short hair that consists of two layers a coarse, waterproof outer coat and a softer, finer layer that is used for warmth. This only gets creepier given the recent suggestion that dolphins actually have names that they call one another. When I first heard about the behavior from a marine biologist friend of mine, I didnt quite believe sea otters could be so diabolical. 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. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The American Oceans Campaign is dedicated primarily to the restoration, protection, and preservation of the health and vitality of coastal waters, estuaries, bays, wetlands, and oceans. Taxonomically speaking, there is actually only one species of sea otter! Sea Otter Sea Otters are a larger species of otter. You may already have an idea as to what makes river otters and sea otters look so different from one another. Our mission at Wildlife Informer is to share free information and pictures of wildlife with our readers. Their gestation period is between 60 to 86 days. River otters actually have two layers of short, coarse fur. The notion that sea otters fall in love and hold hands in the ocean so that they dont drift away from one another is a foreign concept to a river otter! Although seals and otters are often believed to be related, the truth is that they belong to completely different families. Finally, river otters can dive to around 60 feet deep, whereas sea otters, remarkably, can dive to several hundred feet to forage for food. Sea Otters have an average lifespan of 15-20 years but in captivity, some live over 25 years. Theyre found along coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean ranging from California to Russia, and spend a majority of their time swimming, eating, and sleeping in saltwater. They include; weasels, badgers, wolverines, and polecats. Sea otters, conversely, are found only in salt water and rarely go on land. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. Male bottlenose dolphins will sometimes team up to target a single female and harass her persistently, forcing her to mate with them despite her attempts to escape. At Georgia Aquarium, guests can see our southern sea otters in ourCold Water Questgallery and our Asian small-clawed otters in ourSouthern Company River Scoutgallery. All rights reserved. Giant Otter Giant Otters are the largest otter species and are very similar to large river otters. The sea otter does, however, have a shorter tail than the river otter. Otters have dense fur that keeps them warm while seals have blubber that is deposited under the skin that keeps them warm. These two similarly named and look-alike animals are, in fact, very different. Vote in the embedded tweets below, on Twitter with the hashtag #CPMarchSadness, or on our Facebook page. And amorous males of various species, including the noble lion, kill infants to make their mothers available for breeding again. Answer: I can only speak about North American otters, of which there are two species: * Enhydra lutris - Generally called a "Sea Otter". (Major seas are known as oceans.) Otters spend a substantial amount of time grooming, and many species of river otters have designated areas on land for . 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. These aquatic mammals split their time between the land and the water. Copyright 2023. Have some feedback for us? Whale: The North Atlantic right whales namerightcomes from the belief that it was the right whale to hunt. They spend their lives in water, and have many adaptations to their entirely aquatic lifestyle. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. About Us Sea otters have back feet that are larger than their front feet, and much larger than the feet of a river otter. They are basically carnivores. They live in or near oceans. With this insight, you should have a better grasp as to what makes both river otters and sea otters special. River otters weigh between 11 and 31 pounds. The Asian small-clawed otter is "slimmer" and smaller, with smooth fur and a face that looks like it is smiling. It is slow moving, floats when killed, and is full of oil and baleen. Careers, 2023 SeaQuest, All Rights Reserved. They entirely depend on meat for survival. Asian small-clawed otters are just the opposite. Plus, their overall diets, lifespans, and locations differ from one another, not to mention how different they are in appearance! Its without a doubt that otters are some of the most adorable mammals to ever grace the planet. At Arctic Tundra we've created a habitat just like the grassy tundra near Point Hope, Alaska - and filled it with massive muskoxen. It is a grave mistake to see the so-called depravity of penguins, dolphins, and otters in the same way as our own behavior. However, river otters can swim in saltwater if there is an ocean near their preferred river habitat. Asian Small-Clawed Otters have a classification of Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List while Sea and Giant Otters are listed as Endangered as of today. how to cancel quizlet subscription; denver criminal court docket; cody and caleb martin salary; how to remove a backwards bullet from the chamber Given their preferred habitats, this is only natural, though there are some dietary overlaps between sea otters and saltwater river otters. For example, sea lions are sometimes believed to be seals, but that is not the case. RETWEET for Penguin or FAVE for Sea Otter #CPMarchSadness http://t.co/lzQh1SAaxZ pic.twitter.com/D7Tlow3Pad, Climate Progress (@climateprogress) March 27, 2015. They are commonly known as pinnipeds. Sea otters also have thicker fur, often with white markings, while river otters have sleeker fur to match their streamlined bodies. They give birth on the land. We focus on how to be proactive in finding solutions. are about 33 species in this family. Heres a list of 9 ways that sea otters and river otters are different from one another. Otters are mammals in the Mustelidae family. However, there some traits and features that make them different from each other. Why are these male sea otters killing seals? They have a fat layer called blubber under their skin that makes them keep themselves warm during the cold season. Its actually quite easy to understand the physical differences between sea otters and river otters once we understand that there is actually only one species of true sea otter. They weigh 1-5 kg (2-11 pounds). Privacy Policy. Although its not a visible means of telling the creatures apart, knowing their family can help distinguish the creatures. For whichever animal wins, ClimateProgress will write a feature-length article exploring the story behind whats ailing your chosen critter, and who is working to save them. Both are marine mammals and have lungs that they use to breathe. While sea otters and river otters share many differences, they do share a major similarity - the threats they face in the wild. Asian small-clawed otters spend more of their time on land than in water, which helps keep a stable body temperature. Sea otters are larger Levick wrote an entire book about the seagoing birds on his return, describing the impression of the elegant avians like so: When seen for the first time, the Adlie penguin gives you the impression of a very smart little man in an evening dress suit, so absolutely immaculate is he, with his shimmering white front and black back and shoulders. But the species shocked and horrified Levick so much so that his four-page report Sexual Habits of the Adlie Penguin was purposefully omitted from the official expedition findings and distributed only to a small group of researchers considered learned and discreet enough to handle the graphic content. However, seals split their time on land and in the water almost evenly. subfamily. Noun; A large body of salty water. Still, these mammals are very different from one another, and were going to show you the differences between a seal vs otter. There are about 33 species in this family. difference between sea otter and penguin. There are 13 species of otters. 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 only 450 left in the world. Among birds, parents under stress to provide for their offspring during rough years may boot eggs from their nests or kill some of their own chicks so that others might survive. The newborn is taken care of by the males, females, and other offspring. Giant Otters have a smaller lifespan in the wild at about 10 years. when actual inflation is less than expected inflation borrowers quizlet. WildlifeInformer.com is your #1 source for free information about all types of wildlife and exotic pets. Shocking behavior isnt the sole province of marine mammals. Later researchers rediscovered what Levick had seen. difference between sea otter and penguin. Some local populations, such as Gray seals in the Baltic Sea, are endangered. Habitat loss, water pollution, deforestation, and hunting threaten their survival. They are mammals without fur as adults. I am a non-binary freelance writer working full-time in Oregon. A sea otter also has a shorter tail than a river otter, and river otters are narrower in their body mass. A fully grown otter weighs between 14 to 45 kg and this makes them the heaviest member among the smallest marine animals. Posted on June 8, 2022 ; in pete davidson first snl episode; by They eat 15% of their body weight a day. They are found all over the world and live in all waters both the arctic and subarctic. Individual Behavior Grooming. What is natural is not inherently good or evil: It simply is, and wed be fools to take such examples as models of right or wrong. Their slow, quiet and sudden way. Dolphins have tried to force themselves on human swimmers, a prospect made all the more terrifying by the fact that they have prehensile penises. They can grow up to 4 feet and weigh up to 70 pounds. (label) A large number or quantity; a vast amount.A sea of faces stared back at the singer. St. Patty's is coming Whats the difference between sea otters and river otters? One of the main differences between a river otter vs sea otter is their species or genus classification. Otters have long bodies and short legs, while seals have shorter bodies and longer flippers. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. They consume around 10 lbs of food per day. Sea otters must eat 20-25% of their body weight to maintain their body temperature. Although described as the smallest marine mammal this species is quite large as otters go, reaching as much as 80 lbs. But this should not be so. While the females are similarly much smaller than the males at 10-20 pounds, male river otters only reach a maximum size of around 30 pounds. Our work is focused on solving some of the greatest threats facing our ocean today. True seals use blubber deposits under their skin to keep themselves warm when theyre in the water, which is quite often. They are mostly solitary but come together in groups to mate. Sea otters have a different diet from river otters, given their habitat and saltwater location. Both species face threats of pollution, habitat loss, and reduced food sources. Rather than being deviant, the behaviors were a regular part of penguin life, triggered by males associating a rather flexible interpretation of a females mating posture with receptiveness. unit 3: personal and business finance grade boundaries. Receive email updates to learn how you can help make a difference for the future of our ocean. River otters will achieve maturity between the ages of two and three, while female sea otters mature between ages three and five, and males even later between ages five and seven. They have the ability to walk but they prefer living in the oceans more than staying on the land. There is no animal that is made of rainbows and kisses and goodness all the way through. Did You Know. River otters and sea otters also have habitat preferences in these unique ecosystems. This is an important distinction to make, as sea otters are especially clumsy when they get on land! Algae vs Seaweed: What is the Difference? Strange as it may seem, mating is a relatively common cause of death for female sea otters as well. The guard hairs can be brown to black to silver. The main feature that makes otters appear different from seals is the body size. The most common seal in the Arctic, the ringed seal is the smallest of the seal species. The limbs are modified into flippers. Or at least Im going to tarnish their reputation as some of the most charming little beasties in the seas. Not to worry, friends. Many creatures dwell in the water, and some of them are difficult to tell apart. In addition, severe weather can make it difficult for sea otters to forage for and find food. The one exception to these rules is the Marine otter (Lontra felina) these otters are the only species of otter outside the Sea otter that reside in and around saltwater environments. Peregrine Falcon; Oyster vs. Butterfly; Lobster vs. Red Knot (voting closed) WINNERS: Sea Turtle, Falcon, Butterfly, Red Knot.Day 63/26: Polar Bear vs. Pangolin; Koala vs. Wolverine (voting closed) WINNERS: Polar Bear, Wolverine.Day 73/27: Sea Horse vs. Whale; Sea Otter vs. Penguin (voting closed) WINNERS: Sea Horse, Sea Otter.Day 83/30: Elephant vs. Mountain Goat; Moose vs. Narwhal (voting NOW OPEN)Day 93/31: Sea Turtle vs. Red Knot; Butterfly vs. 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. 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. What is the difference between Otter and Seal? The average river otter only weighs 15-20 pounds, while sea otters can reach anywhere from 20-80 pounds depending on their gender and age. The Northern fur seal and Nooded seal are vulnerable. Taxonomically speaking, river otters and sea otters are different genera. Without a doubt, dolphins are jerks. There are 33 species of pinnipeds alive today and, they too can be found on every continent on Earth! Sea otters eat sea urchins, seaweed, clams, and crabs. They have a body length of about 3 to 4 feet and weigh between 40 to 60 pounds. Seals are larger than otters on average, and the largest members of the species make otters look positively tiny. Male seals can grow up to 6 feet in length and weigh up to 600 pounds, while otters are much smaller and typically reach up to 3 feet long and weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. Please try Charming, outgoing, and intelligent, otters are part of the Mustelids family and in the Lutrinae subfamily. And baby Magellanic penguins in Argentina are dying at an unprecedented rate due to heavy rains, strong storms and heat. 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). Additionally, river otters have a very different social structure from sea otters, often preferring solitude over a sea otters committed family structure. Sea otters mate for life, as many people know, but this is not the same for river otters. Decades of efforts to help the dark gray baleen whale recover through international protection have done little to improve the species prospects. It is a grave mistake to see the so-called "depravity" of penguins, dolphins, and otters in the same way as our own behavior. They are also captured for the exotic pet trade in some countries and several species are still trapped and killed for their fur. Who will make it to the next round for a chance at a feature story? 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). Seals and otters are easy to tell apart if you know where to look. Thus, an otter is more closely related to a wolverine than it is to a seal. While both animals are classified as otters, river otters are members of the Lontra genus, and sea otters are members of the Enhydra genus. This goes both ways! They are not very graceful on land because of their flippers, but they manage to move very well in the water. River otters and sea otters have different lifespans. The largest of the seal species, the southern elephant seal can grow up to almost 8,000 pounds and 20 feet long for adult males, while adult females are a bit smaller at 2000 pounds and 10 feet in length. As Douglas and colleagues stressed in their preface to Levicks report, though, the behavior [displayed by hooligan males] is clearly not analogous to necrophilia in the human context. That fact can easily be lost when one is appalled by an animal acting out a human taboo. They have blubber that is deposited below the skin. 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. But the general idea is the same: if the otter isnt floating in the ocean, its most likely a river otter, and vice versa! They include; walrus, eared seals, sea lions, fur seals, and earless seals. You might not be able to tell by looking at them, but river otters and sea otters have very different fur. In desperation, some male Adlie penguins tried to mate with the ground until they ejaculated. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Whereas a female southern sea otter grows up to 50 pounds, a female northern sea otter can weigh up to 70 pounds. They are found in Eastern North and Northern Pacific Ocean. 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. For example, if you see a creature with flippers and no tail or ears, its clearly a seal rather than an otter. Male sea otters typically grasp the female from behind and bite her face, and this rough behavior was associated with the deaths of about 11 percent of dead sea otters discovered between 2000 and 2003. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. And delphine sexual aggression isnt limited to members of their own kind. Only your votes can decide who moves on for a chance at a deep-dive feature story. It might be because river otters have to fight the strong currents of a river and catch their food and fish. and weighing just 1 to 5 kg (2.2-11 lbs.). Less like Flipper and more like the megalomaniacal King Snorky of The Simpsons, a dolphin has a permanent smile that gives off a decidedly creepy vibe. When it comes to distinguishing between river otters and sea otterswell, what is the difference, anyway? Sea otters carry their young on their stomachs to keep them safe until they are ready to swim by themselves. If you find these critters as otterly . It may seem obvious, but if all else failsthe fastest way to tell what type of otter youre observing is to examine its environment. 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! Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Site by Thrive Web Designs, Otters are one of the most fascinating and charismatic marine mammal species. Their diet is composed of meat and protein such as fish, octopuses, lobsters, salmon, eel, mackerel, and squid. Now, however, its differentthere is too little sea ice, which is impacting the food supply. Thats quite the size difference! What makes each species unique, and what are the signs that make each one recognizable? On average, seals are larger than otters. There are twelve different sub-species of river otter, but only three separate sub-species of the sea otter. Partially due to that, its believed to be the most endangered cetacean in the world, a category that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Some river otters can be found in wetlands and lakes. Heres a quick snapshot of just some of the otter and seal species size ranges: Asian Small Clawed Otters are the smallest species of otter. All otters must continually groom their fur to maintain its insulating qualities. They have flippers and do not have visible ears. If you travel further north to areas like the Alaskan seaboard, you could even find males weighing up to 100 pounds! They display sexual dimorphism. Sea otters commit to one another and raise one pup at a time. While floating on their backs, sea otters not only nap, but also use rocks to help them . Sure, dolphins may now and then help fishermen looking to snag fish, but dolphins intelligence and social complexity have endowed them with a suite of behaviors that make them seem less adorable than their carefully-groomed theme park images suggest. : Feed on frogs, crabs, crayfish, and shellfish. 2Lemur vs. Koala; Panda vs. Wolverine (voting closed) WINNERS: Koala and Wolverine.Day 33/23: Fins and FlippersSea Lion vs. Sea Horse; Penguin vs. Manatee; Walrus vs. Sea Otter; Whale vs. Salmon (voting closed) WINNERS: Sea Horse, Sea Otter, Whale, and Penguin.Day 43/24: Horns and HoovesElephant vs. Horned Lizard; Rhino vs. Narwhal; Saola vs. Moose; Mountain Goat vs. Reindeer (voting closed) WINNERS: Elephant, Narwhal, Moose, and Mountain Goat.Day 53/25: Shells and WingsSea Turtle vs. Pelican; Sage Grouse vs. More commonly known as seals, they are a widely distributed and diverse group of fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals. 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. Sea otters often float at the water's surface in forests of kelp, or giant seaweed, and entangle themselves to keep from moving in the rolling sea. 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)! Two out of those three species are now in decline. A post shared by (@seaotter_03112602). The word pinniped means fin-footed or flipper-footed. The ordeal must have been horrific for the seals. Parents can be as bad as siblings. African penguins are declining in part due to fluctuations in water temperature and increased storms on their breeding grounds. They include; walrus, eared seals, sea lions, fur seals, and earless seals. Some seals have fur, but they are not considered true seals. They are unique sea creatures because they are the only marine mammals that can flip over rocks and boulders on the sea floor to find food.