The cuteness of otters is worldwide accepted. These creatures are fuzzy, social, and incredibly intelligent. Male otters are called boars, females are sows, and the babies are called pups. This essay contains a brief synopsis of the types of otters, the anatomy of an otter, the threats they face, its social nature, motherly instinct, how it eats, and its daily life. Otters are members of the Mustelidae family, and they are the largest member of that group. There are 13 species of otters found all around the world (except for in Australia and Antarctica). Otters range in size from the tiny Asian Small-Clawed Otter which is only two to three feet in length to the giant otter which can reach 5 to 5.5 feet in length. The African Clawless Otter, …show more content…
Otters are the smallest out of all the marine animals. Female otters are generally smaller than male otters. Their tail is about one-third of their body and is used to help them dive deeper. To swim, otters use their hind flippers and tail. An otter’s body is very slender and long. They are extremely flexible, so they can groom all of their body. Their eyes are small and their ears are just visible. All otters have a very good sense of smell and can hear very well. Their whiskers can sense vibrations in the water which comes in handy when they are hunting. Most types of otters have retractable claws which allow them to better grip their food. “It is the only marine animal capable of lifting and turning over rocks, which it often does with its front paws when searching for prey” (“Otter Anatomy & …show more content…
There is no mating season in an otter’s world. An otter will remain pregnant for anywhere from five to eight months. The only type of otter that gives birth in water is the sea otter. The rest give birth on land. An otter litter usually consists of one pup but sometimes the mother will have twins. When they are born, they weigh four and a half oz to five lbs (depending on the species) and they are almost as long as their mothers. Their eyes will stay sealed shut, till around one month of age. Otters are buoyant creatures which helps because they don’t learn to swim till they are two months old. When gathering food, the mother otter will bring her pup/s with her. She will then proceed to tie them down with kelp, so they do not float away from her and get lost. If a female otter sees an abandoned pup, she will adopt it and raise it as her own. When the pups turn one, they will leave their
Deborah Butterfield's "Otter" (2014) horse sculpture expresses a realistic display of beauty and craftsmanship because of its life-size image, the symbol of strength and the spirit it exerts where it is displayed at the Art Hotel in Denver, Colorado. "Otter" is a massive horse, standing at the entrance of the hotel, gazing toward the patio, looking as if it is going to trot right out the patio door. Deborah, born in San Deigo, California now lives in Montana and Hawaii. Montana and Hawaii have provided Deborah with the resources to create numerous horse sculptures, beginning with natural twigs and stems from the area. These tree stem creations are then constructed into free-standing, life-size bronze sculptures. The artist says, "I first used the horse images as a metaphorical substitute for myself-it was a way of doing a self-portrait one step removed from the specificity of Deborah Butterfield".
The American Society of Mammalogists, . Mammalian Species: Alces alces. Vol. 154. 1981. 1-7. Web.
1.A lot of people are misinformed, have misconceptions, or might not have any idea at all about what these animals are about. The ferret family, which includes weasels, mink, polecats, martins, skunks, badgers, otters, wolverines, and the endangered black-footed ferret. Early Greek literature suggests that unlike its cousins, the ferret has been domesticated for approximately two to three thousand years.
Introduction Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are marine mammals capable of spending their entire lives in water. Being carnivorous in nature, they feed on sea urchins, crabs, fishes, mussels and clams. They are referred to as keystone species due to their profound impact on marine ecology. The interaction between sea otters, sea urchins and kelp forests has been studied as a model for the impact of predator-prey interactions on community ecology. Sea otters are keystone predators, whose presence has a far-reaching influence on the marine food web by affecting the populations of sea urchins, which indirectly affects the populations of kelp forests & other marine organisms.
One problem facing pandas is their seeming difficulty in mating successfully. Females have a low frequency of ovulation (once a year in the spring) and the males demonstrate an infamous apathy toward females in heat ((2)). When mating is successful, the female giant panda will give birth, after 96 to 160 days, to a cub that is one-nine hundredth the size of her ((1)). Cubs open their eyes after six to eight weeks, nurse for about nine months, and stay with their mothers for up to three years before venturing out on their own ((1)).
Orcinus orca is the scientific name for the massive marine mammal. Orcas are not rare, but have declining numbers in some areas (Martin.) Orcas are found from the Artic Ocean to the Antartic Ocean. (Britannica) They belong to the Delphinidae, or dolphin family, which is the largest of their species. Female orcas grow to be at the most 15 feet, and weigh up to 4 tons, but the males can grow as large as 20-30 feet, and weight up to 8 tons. (Martin) The color of the orca is white in some spots, black on the majority of the body, and gray just behind the dorsal fin. It is white on the chin, belly and the eye. The white patch above the eye is usually mistaken for the eye, and may confuse their prey, but acts as a camouflage for the eye. The name “killer whale” makes people tend to believe that this is a viscious man-eating mammal, yet it is one of the most shrewd, docile and playful species of the marine mammals. The orca is sexually mature at 10-15 years of age, much like humans, which is 12-13 years of age. They tend to mate year round, and is able to have a calf every two years. It is interesting to know that lactation of the mother lasts 12 or more months (Wynne.) The life expectancy of orcas is 45-50 years of age.
Orca whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. Orcas are very curious creatures, they like to sky hop, which is when they poke their heads out of the water and look around, and they can also dive to as much as a hundred feet. These social animals live in pods and stay with them for their whole lives. They are so family oriented that they can may sleep together in a tight circle and have synchronized breathing. Orcas can grow up to thirty-two feet and can weigh nine tons. They typically eat five percent of their body weight and are amazing hunters. The lifespan of an orca in their natural habitat is about fifty years. This lifestyle for them is wonderful because they can swim as far as they want to and are free. Orcas should not be held captive because the capture process is dangerous, it is not good for their health, and their trainers are at risk. Free Willy. Dir Simon Wincer. 1993.Video. Warner Bros Home Video
Save the World: Save the sea otters During the 18th and 19th centuries, sea otters were hunted for their luxurious pelts, and by the early 1900s, the species was believed to be extinct in California. (Carswell) Why do we care you ask, well not only are they super cute and eat with their hands. Apparently, a healthy population of sea otters keeps the sea urchin population in check. An unhealthy or small population of sea otters allows the sea urchin’s number to explode thus decimating kelp beds, which is the sea urchin’s food source, and causing a “chain reaction that depletes the food supply for other marine animals consequently causing their decline.
The Balaenoptera Musculus, or the blue whale, is the largest animal in the world. Blue
The wide paws prevent sea ice from breaking by distributing weight while walking. Their paws allow them to pull a 600 pound seal out of its breathing hole (Rosing, 20). The webbed feet result in making polar bears, unlike other bear species to be considered as marine mammals along with seals, sea lions, walruses, whales and dolphins (Polar Bear). According to Rosing, Polar bears are excellent swimmers and have been known to swim up to six miles an hour and as far as 60 miles at a stretch. Bears paddle with their front feet and steer with their back feet.
Apes, gibbons, monkeys, tarsiers, lemurs, and lorises make up the diverse and beautiful world of primates. We humans are primates, and there are more 300 species of primates in the world. The smallest primate is the pygmy mouse lemur, which can fit in the palm of your hand. The largest—the gorilla—can weigh more than 400 pounds. Almost every primate species is endangered, and the overhunting and forest devastation has brought some species to within a few dozen heads of final extinction.
Before highlighting the various characteristics about the beaver let’s talk about a fun fact: In previous times, beavers were used as meals by our Native American tribes. Additionally, these beaver were used for their fur for protection during the winter months, as for use inside of the teepees to sleep on. America is heavily populated with rodents. Beavers are related to the rodent family. Rodents consist of mice, rats, and various other mammals. One of the most commonly and directly related rodents to the mountain beavers are squirrels. We often see squirrels eating acorns, or strolling through neighborhood parks.
Sikes, Roberts. and William L. Gannon. "Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the Use of Wild Mammals in Research." Journal of Mammalogy 92.1 (Feb. 2011): 235-253. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
Breeding usually takes place in April to June. Polar bears reach breeding maturity at three to five years of age.
Did you know in the world there are more than 90 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises? (WDC) The dolphin is a very important animal to the ocean and there are many different types to discover. In order to learn about dolphins, it is important to discuss where they live, their appearance, and what they eat. Some helpful words to understand are “dorsal fin”, a dorsal fin is the top pointed fin on the dolphins back, “flippers”, a flipper is a flat fin that dolphins use to swim, and “echolocation” is a tool dolphins use to find food by sounds bouncing off of objects (dictionary.com).