The California Sea Otter is the smallest mammal off of our shores. This leads to the weaker male otters becoming more desperate to mate, making them more aggressive which is where the helpless baby seals come in. Their superpower is their fur—the densest in the animal kingdom. Researchers have stated that sea otters were performing mating rituals on the baby seals, and they have found out why. Sea otters have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. And sometimes, the otters stick around, using the lifeless corpse of their baby-seal victims as sex dolls. Here are four essential facts about sea otters: They’re the largest member of the weasel family. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. 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They don't have much blubber but have lots of thick fur. An intriguing fact, considering sea otter pups are born in … The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammal species, but it is the heaviest mustelid. For reference, cats only have around 600,000 hairs on their entire body! A group of otters is called a romp. 10, pp. 11. I googled it because i didn't believe it but apparently it's true. Male otters essentially rape female otters and bite their noses when they do, which may be fatal, there were a couple of records of a certain otter having copulation with a dead female otter (aka necrophilia), and male otters sometimes hold pups ransom to force their mothers to give up some of their food. A sea otter pup’s fur traps so much air that they cannot dive underwater. 10, pp. In a particularly scarce mating environment, the male sea otter will keep the baby seal corpse. Joey is a male sea otter pup believed to be just 10 days old when he was rescued. Give a Gift. I mean! The corpse will be continually raped until it has rotted too much (sea otters decide this at about the end of the work week). Damn nature, you scary! By comparison, we humans have 100,000 on our entire heads, if we’re lucky! Some male sea otters have been spotted pursuing, subduing, and trying to mate with other species, like harbor seal pups. Farther south, off California, researchers documented 19 cases of sexual behaviour between male sea otters and juvenile harbour seals in Monterey Bay from 2000 to 2002. While sea otters use their two webbed hind feet and tail to propel them through the water, the four webbed feet of river otters are what enable them to swim efficiently. California Do Not Sell My Info 10. I’m sure many of you have seen pictures on the internet of sea otters holding hands, causing everyone to freak out about how adorable these little guys are. (Marine Mammal Science, 1994, vol. Strange as it may seem, mating is a relatively common cause of death for female sea otters as well. cows- female bull- male. Researchers at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine have spent two decades studying the mystery of why a parasite which only cats carry. Shetland is a brilliant place all year round to watch sea mammals, particularly common seals, grey seals, otters, harbour porpoises and, occasionally, orcas. Sea otters don’t have blubber like seals and sea lions. Scientists have observed some male sea otters pursuing, subduing, and attempting to mate with other species, such as harbor seal pups. Finally, river otters can dive to around 60 feet deep, whereas sea otters, remarkably, can dive to … Male otters have also been known to violently copulate with other species—most notably, baby seals . Male sea otter holding dead baby seal Sadly, the baby seals usually end up dying because the mating ritual is very aggressive and can be rather violent if the male is sexually inactive. (3,855.5 kilograms). Joey is an almost 3-month-old male Canadian-born sea otter. The male stellar sea lion can grow to the size of a compact car weighing over 2000 pounds and measuring over 10 feet long. The poor baby seals don’t stand a chance. In fact, at 850,000 to one million hairs per square inch, they have the thickest fur of any mammal. Like Dexter! Sea otters. – Source. Sea otter feeds on fish, shellfish and crustaceans. entering the water by physically blocking their passage, biting them on the face, or wrestling with them. The Asian small-clawed otter is the smallest otter species and the giant otter and sea otter are the largest. A weaned harbor seal pup was resting onshore when an untagged male sea otter approached it, grasped it with its teeth and forepaws, bit it on the nose, and flipped … Male sea otters do gruesome things to baby seals–and female sea otters Male sea otters sometimes attack baby seals and attempt to mate with them, writes Brian Switek for Slate… "In some reports it is suspected that up to 15% of all female otter deaths are the result of injuries sustained during mating." Male sea otters sometimes attack baby seals and attempt to mate with them, writes Brian Switek for Slate. Kat Eschner is a freelance science and culture journalist based in Toronto. Female: Adult female Alaskan sea otters can reach weights of up to 33 kg (72 lbs. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Oh my goodness. 114-116), off the coast of southern California, there are male sea otters that have attempted to have sex with, well, with harbor seals. Their fur actually consists of two layers, an undercoat and longer guard hairs. But it took more time to understand how the cat-poop parasite was making it into otters. Otters bully their young, commit infanticide and sexually mutilate members of their own species. While sea otters use their two webbed hind feet and tail to propel them through the water, the four webbed feet of river otters are what enable them to swim efficiently. Sadly, the baby seals usually end up dying because the mating ritual is very aggressive and can be rather violent if the male is sexually inactive. If this wasn’t bad enough, the reasoning behind this behavior is based on the male sea otters inability to find a suitable, female mate. Males are massive, weighing up to 8,500 lbs. Not even close. A rescued sea otter pup is taken to Alaska SeaLife Center to be treated. Keep up-to-date on: © 2020 Smithsonian Magazine. Once again, these acts are sometimes so violent that the harbor seal pup dies – but the male sea otter keeps attacking the pup for up to seven days. Jul 24, 2019 - Explore Nana Hughes's board "Otters, Seals, Sea lions, & Walrus", followed by 659 people on Pinterest. The fat otter does not have fat, and fur is its only way to keep body temperature in cold water. Sea otters are members of the weasel or mustelid family. “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,” he writes. Sea otters are known to drown baby seals and rape them. This system traps a layer of air next to their skin so their skin does not get wet. Which guild an otter occupies has to do with the depth at which it likes to find food. The smallest is the ringed seal, with an average length of 5 feet (1.5 m) and a weight of 110 to 150 lbs. Researchers at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine have spent two decades studying the mystery of why a parasite which only cats carry, Toxoplasma gondii, was causing sea otter deaths. There have been many cases where sea otters find lone baby seals and force them into the water, where they will begin their assault. At 105 min into the encounter, the sea otter released the pup, now dead, and began grooming. This in turn, apparently makes them the most innocent animal on the planet. But you’d be wrong. Thanks to climate change, famished polar bears now feast on rubbish, This tongue eating fish parasite is a very disturbing creature, The shrimp that has a gun for a claw: The pistol shrimp, Floods cause spiders to migrate into trees, creating a very stunning view, Sea otters are giant assholes in the animal kingdom, The bobbit worm: A horrifying ambush predator you don’t want to meet, Snail Sucks Up Worm Like Spaghetti – You Will Never Look At Snails The Same Way Again, The parasitic wasp that lays eggs in caterpillars, turning them into mind-controlled zombie bodyguards. It’s unusual, he writes, because ducks would usually avoid a big predator such as a sea otter, and it likely won’t last for long–after a few years in an area, sea otters have generally eaten most of the local urchins and move on to other, less interesting prey. A sea otter mother swims on her back, holding her sleeping baby on her belly. Cookie Policy Yes, you read that correctly. Male sea otters sometimes attack baby seals and attempt to mate with them. Quiet and shy, harbor seals can be seen year-round resting on rocks just offshore. But you’d be wrong. Male sea otters sometimes look outside their own species to inflict themselves on other animals. Fish and Wildlife Service. Instead, they rely on their rich, dense fur and a high level of activity to stay warm. The largest is the southern elephant seal. (Marine Mammal Science, 1994, vol. It’s like something out of a … The males will grasp the female, then bite down onto her nose and hold on, usually resulting in … What is an otter? The otter was even suspected of killing the … Reports, eye-witness verification, scientific studies and photographic and video evidence all substantiate numerous cases of male sea otters raping baby seals. Smithsonian Institution, Happy Sea Otter Awareness Week! The Other Side of Otters Sea otters – cute, furry, adorable, clams-wouldn’t-melt-in-their-mouths sea otters – have been observed forcibly copulating with, and in the process killing, juvenile harbor seals off California. of food each day. pups. The ritual involves biting, clawing, and rolling the female (or baby seals in this case) consistently for many minutes, which can lead to drowning, or even bleeding out from the deep cuts and bites. This animal sleeps, eat and multiply in water. What the hell, am I right? cubs. So, here goes. Or Christian Bale in American Psycho! I’m putting an end to the ongoing trend of how cute and innocent sea otters are. adult seals/sea lions/ whales/ manatees. How do we know this? Okay so i saw this picture on facebook of two Sea Otters holding hands, with the caption " Sea otters hold hands when they sleep so that they don't float away from each other " Then i looked at the comments and it said that they also rape baby seals. Where in the world do sea otters live? Adorable baby seals are currently being born on Welsh beaches. Northern Pacific Ocean from California, all the way around to just north of Japan. I mean, they are definitely cute, but they can also be incredibly vicious animals. Sea otters have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. As of this week, he weighs about 20 pounds. Otters engage in necrophilia so much that it’s beginning to impact their populations. Despite their name, fur seals are more closely related to sea lions (members of the earred seal or Otariidae family) meaning that they have obvious external ear flaps and large flippers that support their body upright when on … It is thought that the sea otters do this in frustration when they are unable to find a mate, so take out their frustrations on the hapless baby seal instead. Like other members of this family, they have very thick fur. The behavior doesn't stop when the seals die … Okay so i saw this picture on facebook of two Sea Otters holding hands, with the caption " Sea otters hold hands when they sleep so that they don't float away from each other " Then i looked at the comments and it said that they also rape baby seals. The harbor seal moved toward the water with the sea otter following closely. To keep their dense coat waterproof and in good condition, the sea otter dedicates a good portion of their day to cleaning and grooming. Otters are mammals of the subfamily Lutrinae, one of two subfamilies contained … The 13 species range in adult size from 0.6 to 1.8 m (2.0 to 5.9 ft) in length and 1 to 45 kg (2.2 to 99.2 lb) in weight. These small, plump seals have spotted gray to black coats. Like some kind of psychopathic serial-murderer human. – Source 13. This leaves extra males without mates. Once the urchin is pried open, the otters slurp up the nutritious, mustard-colored gonads as best they can before diving back for more. At about 4 or 5 years old, female sea otters typically have their first pup after a four-to-five-month-long pregnancy. baby polar bears. Once at the surface, they often eat by placing the food on their stomachs, and then placing a rock on their stomachs and then smashing the prey on the rock to open it and get at the flesh inside. Unfortunately, part of the mating process involves holding the female s head under water which ultimately kills the seal pups (and over 10% of female otters). A mess of uneaten urchin bits floats in their wake.”. Sea otters’ diet includes sea urchins, crabs, mussels, and clams, which they’re known to … Sea otters are smaller than seals and sea lions, have stubby front paws and rest by floating on their back. 333 contact, male sea otters were observed to haul-out near resting harbor seals and prevent them from . From the "Otter Facts" webpage. Recently, in an area re-colonized by sea otters, researchers observed unusual behavior from the otters' neighbors as a result of the mess. Once before, two sea otters were seen attempting to mate with seals, said Greg Sanders, a Ventura-based otter point man with the U.S. This is not a new phenomenon, the evidence has been around for decades. Sea otters are one of the only mammals that are been known to use tools to obtain and eat their prey. As the seemingly infinite number of. (50 t… 14.) It is an oft resented and not well known fact that otters are violent little terrorists of the shores. The otters have been found to keep having sex with the female otter or baby seal after they are dead. Farther south, off California, researchers documented 19 cases of sexual behaviour between male sea otters and juvenile harbour seals in Monterey Bay from 2000 to 2002. Mishka is an asthmatic otter who uses an inhaler. See more ideas about otters, animals wild, cute animals. Weak males rape. A weaned harbor seal pup was resting onshore when an untagged male sea otter approached it, grasped it with its teeth and forepaws, bit it on the nose, and flipped it over. One sea otter attempted to mate with a dead bird and a dead dog. Press J to jump to the feed. Nineteen cases of sea otters fatally harming baby seals after attempting to mate with them were reported in 2010. Even after the research I had a hard time believing this, but I actually have a friend that has witnessed such an incident in British Colombia, Canada. Newborn sea otters weigh 3 to 5 pounds. Still onboard with sea otters after fully acknowledging this behavior? 114-116), off the coast of southern California, there are male sea otters that have attempted to have sex with, well, with harbor seals. A weaned harbor seal pup was resting onshore when an untagged male sea otter approached it, grasped it with its teeth and forepaws, bit it on the nose, and flipped it over. ... baby seal/sea lion/ walrus/(pinnipeds) & sea otter. Reports, eye-witness verification, scientific studies and photographic and video evidence all substantiate numerous cases of male sea otters raping baby seals. And with so much wildlife around us in Wales it would be a shame not to take the time to observe it. Sea otters eat 25 percent of their body weight in food every day. Fish and Wildlife Service. (907.18 kg). The excluded scared off males gather in areas that do not have much contact with female sea otters. Harbor seals . Some otters dive deep and end up nabbing things like sea urchins and Dungeness crabs off the seafloor, while others find their favorite foods at mid-range depths of about 40 feet (12 meters), collecting small shellfish and worms. The mother will hold her baby, leaving it only to dive for food. Scientists have witnessed another dark side to sea otters. There are 18 species of true seals, according to Seals World. Male otters will find a juvenile harbor seal and mount it, as if he were mating with a female otter. This allows natural oils to seal the coat dry. Terms of Use 17th Annual Photo Contest Finalists Announced. Scientists have observed some male sea otters pursuing, subduing, and attempting to mate with other species, such as harbor seal pups. As the seemingly infinite number of sea otter gifs to be found on the internet reveals, these marine mammals are extremely adorable. That’s what I got from this. Males measure about 20 feet long (6 meters), while females are about half as long. Male sea otters do gruesome things to baby seals–and female sea otters. Sea lions are known as eared or walking seals; A male sea lion is called a bull, a female is called a cow, and a baby is called a pup; A group of sea lions is called a colony on land, and a raft when in the water. 5. Seals Walk along the coastline or take a stroll across a quiet beach and you’re bound to see an inquisitive head popping out of the water. 9. 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. Sea Otters are known to hold hands in groups called a raft while they eat, sleep, and rest, to prevent families losing each other while adrift on water. The UC Davis veterinarians' most recent research shows that development that causes runoff, such as paving areas or building new homes, can speed the transmission of bacteria to the ocean. The mating ritual resembles that of when a male otter copulates with a female otter. Photo by U.S. Male sea otters sometimes look outside their own species to inflict themselves on other animals. They can use a rock to dislodge mollusks and urchins from the rocks where they are attached. B. Hatfield et al. And as of this moment, he is playing around in a tub of ice cubes, aka otter catnip. 8. After diving for sea urchins, Silberg writes, the sea otters open their food “by ripping it apart with their paws or banging it with a rock that they use like an anvil. An adult sea otter has roughly 100,000 hairs per square centimetre or about one billion hairs in total. They can be … (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Male sea otters are very territorial, which leads to the stronger males establishing themselves in areas with high numbers of females. B. Hatfield et al. Not only do male sea otters rape baby seals, but they also harass and maul the seal pups to death afterwards. Advertising Notice Sea otters also rape baby seals to death. He was discovered near Kyuquot after a concerned member of the public heard him vocalizing overnight on July 2 and discovered a deceased adult sea otter in the area, presumed to be his mother, the next morning. A possible reason for the violent behavior towards seal pups is that some male otters are unable to win in the animals’ competitive mating process, leaving them without an appropriate female to mate with. Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. Scientists confirm that this … Sad. Vote Now! I’m just going to say it. On some occasions, they further note, otters would guard and copulate with the seals long after their victims had died – as much as seven days afterward, in fact. But there’s a lot more going on below the surface. Diet A sea otter has a metabolic rate much higher than most mammals of similar size, and must consume large quantities of food. The others use it as a powerful weapon and to navigate their movements in the water. There have even been cases where the otters would guard and copulate the bodies for up to a week after death. Sea otters don’t have blubber like seals and sea lions. Male otters will find a juvenile harbor seal and mount it, as if he were mating with a female otter. 7. A California study published in the journal, Aquatic Mammals, documented 19 cases of sexual behaviour between male sea otters and juvenile harbour seals in … In that time they’ve established a definite link between sea otter deaths and animal feces, writes Justin Cox for a UC Davis publication. The areas where they feed are littered with chunks. – Source. At 105 min into the encounter, the sea otter released the pup, now dead, and began grooming. ), and female California sea otters weigh on average 20 kg (44 lbs.) Hold your breath the sea otter in a state of up to 6 minutes, which can not fail to impress. They do this aggressively. Reports, eye-witness verification, scientific studies and photographic and video evidence all substantiate numerous cases of male sea otters raping baby seals. They are animals, not humans. Mustelidae, a family of fur-bearing mammals that includes everything from weasels to honey badgers, also includes a subfamily composed of both freshwater otters and sea otters. "Reports, eye-witness verification, scientific studies and photographic and video evidence all substantiate numerous cases of male sea otters raping baby seals. Male Otters are called boars, females are sows, and the offspring are pups. Adult sea otters may eat as much as 9 kg (20 lbs.) Why are these male sea otters killing seals? By comparison, we humans have 100,000 on our entire heads, if we’re lucky! Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Find something better to do with your time. Smh. Sea otters also rape baby seals to death. Sounds about right too. Their superpower is their fur—the densest in the animal kingdom. Privacy Statement Continue Many animals do things we would never do. Male otters have developed a bad habit of humping and fatally wounding baby seals in their desperation to mate, sometimes continuing to have sex with the seals … Females are much smaller, but still weigh more than a car at 2,000 lbs. Finally, river otters can dive to around 60 feet deep, whereas sea otters, remarkably, can dive to … Southern sea otters don’t rely on blubber or fat to keep them warm, as other sea mammals do. Although they’re the second-smallest sea mammal–partly because they employ thick fur rather than blubber for insulation–they’re the largest member of the weasel family, according to Defenders of Wildlife. And that high level of activity makes Southern sea otters ravenous eaters! The harbor seal moved toward the water with the sea otter following closely. – Source. Sea otters rape and kill baby seals. Happy Sea Otter Awareness Week! Bizarre as this behavior may seem, Harris and her co … Females are smaller, weighing 14 to 33 kg (31 to 73 lb) and measuring 1.0 to 1.4 m (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 7 in) in length. Sea otter pups lay on their mom’s chest as she floats on her back because they cannot swim. Male sea otters usually weigh 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb) and are 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 11 in to 4 ft 11 in) in length, though specimens up to 54 kg (119 lb) have been recorded. Elephants too have been observed raping Rhinos Both sea otters and elephants have the same reason. Sea otters are usually dark brown, often with lighter guard ha… According to a paper by B. Most have sharp claws on their feet and all except the sea otter have long, muscular tails. kind of like the inuits who kill 100s at a time with sludge hammers. – Source 12. Sea Otters have joined the ranks of ducks, chickens, pigs, whales, horses, and elephant seals, all animals that can contract influenza.According to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, sea otters living in a remote area in Washington state were carriers of the H1N1 virus. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. So, here goes. An adult sea otter has roughly 100,000 hairs per square centimetre or about one billion hairs in total. The ritual involves biting, clawing, and rolling the female (or baby seals in this case) consistently for many minutes, which can lead to drowning, or even bleeding out from the deep cuts and bites. Male sea otters sometimes look outside their own species to inflict themselves on other animals. Otters rape baby seals and attempt to mate with a female otter is not a new phenomenon, the otter! 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