difference between sea otter and penguin difference between sea otter and penguin

They have a body length of about 3 to 4 feet and weigh between 40 to 60 pounds. As 2022 comes to a close, I am reflecting on everything weve accomplished together on behalf, Climate change touches many aspects of our lives, including the food on our plates. What is the difference between Otter and Seal? Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Site by Thrive Web Designs, Otters are one of the most fascinating and charismatic marine mammal species. Given our ability to reason, we have the unique ability to decide the right and wrong of what we do. With 13 species around the world, you can find an otter species located on almost every continent! The newborn is taken care of by the males, females, and other offspring. Members of Phocidae are known as earless seals or true seals. Although both seals and otters come in various sizes due to their many species, seals are almost always larger than otters. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) can be split into two regional subspecies. Asian small-clawed otters have a body length of 30-45 cm (12-18 inches) and a tail length of 15-25 cm (6-10 inches). From behavior and habitat to offspring and appearance, this article will detail the differences between these two otters. They feed on fish, shellfish, penguins, and other marine creatures. Taxonomically speaking, river otters and sea otters are different genera. But sea otters relationship with climate change goes two ways. The Caribbean monk seal was declared extinct in 2008. Although its not a visible means of telling the creatures apart, knowing their family can help distinguish the creatures. They have a fat layer called blubber under their skin that makes them keep themselves warm during the cold season. Sea otters typically give birth to only one pup, and care for their young until they become independent around eight months to one year old. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 2022 Georgia Aquarium 225 Baker Street Northwest, Atlanta, GA. Georgia Aquarium is a nonprofit committed to inspiring awareness and preservation of our ocean and aquatic animals worldwide. It may seem obvious, but if all else failsthe fastest way to tell what type of otter youre observing is to examine its environment. Plus, visit our Arctic fox and see how his coat changes throughout the year. Alaska sea otters are slightly larger than . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Sea otters eat sea urchins, seaweed, clams, and crabs. We can find beauty and poetry in nature, but we can also find terror and savagery, all essential parts of the entire picture. Otters are one of the most fascinating and charismatic marine mammal species. Yet, if the two creatures are closer in size, then you will need to rely on other methods of differentiating them. 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. Otters are smaller while seals are comparatively large when it comes to body size. 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. River otters are more petite. Not all otters are created equal, especially when it comes to their size. With 13 species around the world, you can find an otter species located on almost every continent! The sea otter is the "fluffiest" among these three animals. However, there some traits and features that make them different from each other. Otters mainly feed on invertebrates while seals mainly feed on fish. They average a length of 5 feet and weigh about 150 pounds. One naturalist was so thoroughly disgusted with the sexual behaviors of Adlie penguins that his observations were hidden from view for almost a century. Welcome back to March Sadness, ClimateProgress educational bracket tournament of animals impacted by climate change and other environmental threats. . When I'm not working, I enjoy playing video games, reading, and writing for fun. nurse unit manager interview questions and answers australia. Another major difference between sea otters and river otters is their mating habits. Sea Otters have an average lifespan of 15-20 years but in captivity, some live over 25 years. Still, these two mammals are very different from one another. Both are marine mammals and have lungs that they use to breathe. While they are both otters, river otters belong to the Lontra genus, while sea otters belong to the Enhydra genus. The Key Differences Between Seal vs Otter. 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. Both species face threats of pollution, habitat loss, and reduced food sources. There was nothing obviously wrong with these rehabbed otters, but the trouble they experienced early in their lives might have made them more likely assailants. 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. Travailleur Autonome Gestion michigan department of corrections directory; There are only 450 left in the world. As their name suggests, sea otters live in the sea! In contrast, sea otters actually have one layer of fur, which happens to be the densest fur of any other known animal. They have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. They may look similar, but they are two different creatures. A post shared by (@seaotter_03112602). Their slow, quiet and sudden way. Protect the Arctic from Future Oil Spills. Today, were in round two of the Sweet Sixteen, and the winners of our Fins and Flippers division are going head to head. Sea otters carry their young on their stomachs to keep them safe until they are ready to swim by themselves. When comparing the sea otter vs river otter, you may wonder if they the same animal. Strange as it may seem, mating is a relatively common cause of death for female sea otters as well. Young cattle egrets will peck and harass weaker siblings, going so far to push them out of the nest and to their doom. There are twelve different sub-species of river otter, but only three separate sub-species of the sea otter. I am a non-binary freelance writer working full-time in Oregon. They even have the adorable habit of floating on their backs, even while theyre eating, and have been known to hold hands with each other while sleeping so they dont drift apart from their pals! 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. While they are both otters, river otters belong to the Lontra genus, while sea otters belong to the Enhydra genus. 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). Graduating Southern Oregon University with a BFA in Theatre and a specialization in creative writing, I have an invested interest in a variety of topics, particularly Pacific Northwest history. 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 that's extremely dense and warm. Asian-small clawed otters can be found in India, China, and parts of Southeast Asia. The average lifespan of a sea otter is twelve to fifteen years in the wild, but the average lifespan of a river otter is only nine to twelve years. Seeing a dolphin at sea should be just as chilling as how many people feel when they see the sinuous silhouette of a shark. More commonly known as seals, they are a widely distributed and diverse group of fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals. 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! Male giant otters average 26 to 34 kg (57-75 lbs. A final difference between a river otter vs sea otter lies in their social behaviors and mating habits. At Arctic Tundra we've created a habitat just like the grassy tundra near Point Hope, Alaska - and filled it with massive muskoxen. The ordeal must have been horrific for the seals. What is Our Oceans Role in the Transition to Clean Energy? Red Wolf Population (Historically and Currently), Manatee Vs Dugong (Heres the Difference), 6 Types of Water Snakes in Illinois (Pictures). Sea otters have back feet that are larger than their front feet, and much larger than the feet of a river otter. Such behavior led ornithologist Douglas Mock and colleagues to write Occasionally, the pen of natural selection writes a murder mystery on the pages of evolution. Given their preferred habitats, this is only natural, though there are some dietary overlaps between sea otters and saltwater river otters. The webbed feet of a sea otter. There is no animal that is made of rainbows and kisses and goodness all the way through. They give birth on the land. African penguins are declining in part due to fluctuations in water temperature and increased storms on their breeding grounds. Both seals and otters can vary a great deal in their sizes owing to their various species. Their bodies and feet are also shaped very differently as well. They entirely depend on meat for survival. What sea otters, dolphins, and penguins sometimes do to one another in their attempts to mate can make us feel queasy, but this is just one sort of animal behaviors that have been unsettling us since the Victorian era. Conversely, river otters mate with multiple partners during the course of their lives. Seals belong to Phocidae, and otters belong to the Mustelidae, so they are not even close to being related. SeaQuest is committed to protecting our worlds oceans and endangered animals. Make A Lasting Impact By Leaving A Gift To Ocean Conservancy In Your Will. The Asian small-clawed otter's tail is long, with a sharp end. Have some feedback for us? Sea otters also have thicker fur, often with white markings, while river otters have sleeker fur to match their streamlined bodies. If we truly wish to appreciate sea otters, dolphins, penguins, and the rest, we need to consider them as they truly are and not just as the cuddly caricatures that never cease to make us go Awww.. Theyre both known for spending a lot of time in the water, something that is unusual for mammals that dont spend their entire lives in water. Previously, Brian Switek has written about mammoth end-times, and how feathery, fluffy dinosaurs killed the brontosaurus. I'm a freelance writer with 8 years of experience. Sea otters will be in the sea, river otters will be in the river. In what promises to be two close matches, Sea Otter will face off against Penguin, and ThinkProgress office-favorite Sea Horse will battle the severely endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. With no power for the electric lights, the house was a sea of darkness. Otters have long bodies and short legs, while seals have shorter bodies and longer flippers. WildlifeInformer.com is your #1 source for free information about all types of wildlife and exotic pets. There are about 33 species in this family. Otters and seals share many things such as they are both mammals and have the same physical appearance although they are different from each other. Lastly, seals use blubber under their thick skin to keep them warm when they spend time in the water, but otters have dense, two-layered fur that keeps them insulated. One of the main differences between a river otter vs sea otter is their species or genus classification. You may already have an idea as to what makes river otters and sea otters look so different from one another. Their swimming mechanisms are also a little different. Nevertheless, seals tend to be much larger than otters. 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! Many species of river otter inhabit coastal areas and are sometimes confused for sea otters. Otter and seals belong to different families. To meet the wonderful sloths that call SeaQuest home, book your visit today at any of the following locations: Utah, Las Vegas, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Connecticut, Lynchburg, New Jersey, and Atlanta. Please try again Sea Otter: We mentioned last time that sea otters are threatened by toxic algal blooms, which are exacerbated by climate change. * {{quote-news, year=2013, date=April 9, author=Andrei Lankov, title=Stay Cool. In addition, severe weather can make it difficult for sea otters to forage for and find food. 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. If you spot an otter in the Chesapeake Bay, it's a river otter, whereas if you spot one in Monterey Bay (especially in the water), the chances are high that it's a sea otter. Thus, an otter is more closely related to a wolverine than it is to a seal. Most seal species are currently not considered endangered, according to the IUCN Red List. SeaQuest is committed to protecting our worlds oceans and endangered animals. They are found in Eastern North and Northern Pacific Ocean. Partially due to that, its believed to be the most endangered cetacean in the world, a category that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Both otters have their own adorable way of caring for their young and making them feel at home, too. Sea otters have a different diet from river otters, given their habitat and saltwater location. Both are adapted to keeping themselves warm in the water. It has "toes" on its feet. Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup, Trash Free Seas, Trash Free Seas Alliance, Global Ghost Gear Initiative, Urban Ocean and Clean Swell are registered trademarks of Ocean Conservancy. There seems to be no crime too low for these penguins, he confided to his journal. 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. Read the rules here. Copyright 2023. This is an important distinction to make, as sea otters are especially clumsy when they get on land! While members of both otter subtypes love to swim, the swimming behaviors they engage in are quite distinct. It is a grave mistake to see the so-called depravity of penguins, dolphins, and otters in the same way as our own behavior. Although seals and otters are often believed to be related, the truth is that they belong to completely different . Sea Otters are a larger species of otter. This is primarily due to the difference in habitat, but sea otters and river otters have different diets. With this insight, you should have a better grasp as to what makes both river otters and sea otters special. They include; walrus, eared seals, sea lions, fur seals, and earless seals. The sea otters legs arent made for walking, like river otters are, but for constant swimming. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. Their gestation period is between 60 to 86 days. The underfur is the layer closest to the body, and this fur functions to insulate their body and keep warm in very cold conditions. Their fur is made up of a dense underfur, ranging in color from brown to black, and longer guard hairs. And amorous males of various species, including the noble lion, kill infants to make their mothers available for breeding again. Not to worry, friends. This results in river otters having short, sleek fur, while sea otters have long, fuzzy fur. Seals and otters are easy to tell apart if you know where to look. Their diet is composed of meat and protein such as fish, octopuses, lobsters, salmon, eel, mackerel, and squid. The elephant seal can weigh up to 6,000lbs and grows 20ft long. River otters and sea otters might be similar in name, but these two different classifications and populations are actually quite different in many ways, in the same way dogs have different breeds. There are a few exceptions: The Galpagos fur seal and the Monk seal are both now have an Endangered status. Otter belongs to the Mustelidae family while the seal belongs to the Phocidae family. Sea otters are bigger and thus have larger feet than river otters. Southern sea otters are considered an endangered species, while Asian small-clawed otters are vulnerable. They also feed on invertebrates and small animals found in the sea. There are nearly 2,000 different species! All pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses) are protected in U.S. waters under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to NOAA. Found in both saltwater and freshwater, a river otter lounges around riverbanks and swims with its belly down, keeping the majority of its body submerged below the water. If you look closely at river otters, youll notice that they have short, coarse fur made up of two layers: one for keeping them warm, and another waterproof one outside of that. For if such awful displays occurred in nature, what might that say about our own actions? They feed on fish and shellfish. Who will make it to the next round for a chance at a feature story? However, river otters prefer to eat fish, frogs, crayfish, birds, and reptiles, while sea otters enjoy sea urchins, clams, crabs, and seaweed. They are purely carnivorous and eat a hefty diet of fish, crabs, small caimans, and small anacondas. They have blubber that is deposited below the skin. In addition, sea otters tend to live in small to large familial groups, but river otters, especially males, are more territorial, and while they will be social, they prefer solitary lives or in small family groups. Otters fur has guard hairs on the outside layer that are used to keep them protected from moisture and to maintain body temperature. They are one of the only mammals that use tools to help them hunt and feed, and they happen to have the densest fur of any other mammal on the planet. Sea otters must groom regularly to help maintain the insulation. difference between sea otter and penguin. But how do we tell the difference between river otters and sea otters? It lives with its family for about a year. 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. It may seem obvious, but the best way to tell if youre looking at a river otter or a sea otter is just paying attention to the body of water youre observing! The distinction between these two is important: the sea otter will spend its entire life floating in the ocean, swimming, feeding, and reproducing. They average around 2 feet in length and weigh around 10 pounds. As the smallest species of otter, they range in size from 4.4 to 11 pounds, with a body length of only 16 to 24 inches, which makes them half the length of a southern sea otter! And baby Magellanic penguins in Argentina are dying at an unprecedented rate due to heavy rains, strong storms and heat. asia deep blue crete menu . Please try But if theres any marine vertebrate that wins the title of the squickiest, its dolphins. Asian Small-Clawed Otters will live around 12 years in captivity but lifespan in the wild is really unknown, with an estimated number of 5,000 left in the world. Plus, their overall diets, lifespans, and locations differ from one another, not to mention how different they are in appearance! The dark side of superficially cute animals is a part of their nature that reminds us that the wild does not exist for our entertainment and whimsy. In 2010, California Department of Fish and Game biologist Heather Harris and colleagues reported 19 individual cases of male sea otters trying to mate with, and often fatally injuring, harbor seal pups in the Monterey Bay, Calif. area between 2000 and 2002 alone. 2. In addition to the sea otter being significantly bigger than the river otter, they also have different mating and parenting habits. 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. We also share helpful tips and guides on a variety of topics related to animals and nature. They spend their lives in water, and have many adaptations to their entirely aquatic lifestyle. With the help of donors like you, Ocean Conservancy is developing innovative solutions to save our ocean. Their familial units are very strong, while river otters tend to lead solitary lives. Learn more. Seals are larger than otters, weighing a lot more than them and growing much longer. They consume around 10 lbs of food per day. Whereas a female southern sea otter grows up to 50 pounds, a female northern sea otter can weigh up to 70 pounds. hold hands with other otters so they dont drift apart, Watch Five Giant River Otters Face-Off Against a Huge Jaguar, Watch a Group of Massive River Otters Defeat a Crocodile in Vicious Battle, Weight: 10lbs-99lbs Length: 2ft-6ft, Blubber deposits under the skin keep true seals warm, -Dense fur that has two layers, guard hairs, and insulating underfur, Spend equal amounts of time on land and in the water, Spend the vast majority of their time in the water. : Love to snack on small fish found close to shore banks, as well as amphibians such as frogs, and crustaceans such as crawdads. Some seals have fur, but they are not considered true seals. are about 33 species in this family. River otters also can often be found on the banks of the river. Not only is this useful for staying together, but it also keeps them away from the shore where many of their predators reside. This is likely due to their respective sizes and predators in their environments, as sea otters grow much larger than river otters do. Email Us, Board of Fisheries and Game: Actions & Activities, Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program, Alaska Resources Library and Information Services (ARLIS), About the Division of Commercial Fisheries, Western Alaska Salmon Stock Identification Program (WASSIP), Online General Season & Registration Permits, Subsistence and Personal Use Fishing Permits, CSIS Community Subsistence Information System, The Technical Papers and Special Publications Series, Special Status page for northern sea otter. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. Some local populations, such as Gray seals in the Baltic Sea, are endangered. Lets take a look and some similarities, and differences, between these two amazingly fascinating animals! Darwin knew this well. Learn how to tell them apart quickly and easily! If you see a vast creature, then its probably a seal and not an otter. 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. You might not be able to tell by looking at them, but river otters and sea otters have very different fur. River otters have a thick, lustrous coat that keeps them warm. Did you know that sea otters mate for life? (Major seas are known as oceans.) While sea otters and river otters share many differences, they do share a major similarity the threats they face in the wild. RETWEET for Whale or FAVE for Sea Horse #CPMarchSadness http://t.co/lzQh1SAaxZ pic.twitter.com/WPiCEtbbDt, ***TOURNAMENT UPDATES:Day 13/19: Paws and Claws pt. The sea otter is the largest member of the weasel family. Their diets are reminiscent of their environments. Decreasing sea ice cover is preventing Emperor penguins from finding food and sheltering their babies. 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.