Southern Sea Otter - Georgia Aquarium

Size

• Adult southern sea otters are approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) in length. Adult males average 65 lbs. (29.5 kg) and adult females average 45 lbs. (20 kg) in weight.
• A newborn southern sea otter pup is a buff color, 22 to 24 inches (55-60 cm) in length and 4 to 5 lbs. (1.8-2.3 kg).

Color

• The southern sea otter is dark to reddish brown in color with a lighter-colored head, throat, and chest.

Body Composition

• It has a long, stout body with a short broad head and snout with thick whiskers on the cheeks.
• The tail is short in comparison to those of other otters.
• Webbed hind feet that can be spread wide like flippers are well adapted for swimming.
• Forepaws are smaller with retractable claws and are used to groom, eat, and hold tools for breaking open prey.
• Classified as a marine “fissiped”, the sea otter is an aquatic carnivore that is well-adapted for its life at sea. The digits on its front paws are separated and covered, similar to mittens. Its claws are retractable and the front paws have rough pads. These features help sea otters more easily grasp their slippery or spiny prey. On the hind paws, the pads are reduced and may be absent, except on the toes. The fifth digit or little toe is longer than all other otters, allowing the sea otter to spread its webbing wider when swimming.

Teeth

• The majority of the southern sea otter’s teeth are flattened molars for crushing and chewing shelled, invertebrate prey. The otter has a set of canine teeth as well.
• Major tooth wear is a cause of mortality in older otters.
• Webbed hind feet that can be spread wide like flippers are well adapted for swimming.

Fur

• The sea otter’s body is covered in dense fur that constantly must be groomed to maintain its insulating properties and cleanliness; therefore, a sea otter will spend a large amount of time grooming.
• This thick coat helps to maintain its body temperature in cold ocean water.
• The fur of the sea otter is the densest of all mammals at about 350,000 to 1,000,000 hairs per square inch, compared to dogs which only have 1,000 to 60,000 hairs per square inch.
• The sea otter’s fur also is designed to trap air to further insulate it from the cold water and to provide additional buoyancy.