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Sea otter
Where does the Sea otter live?
The sea otter has three subspecies, each with a distinct geographical distribution:
The Asian sea otter (E.l.lutris) ranges across Russia's Kuril Islands, the Commander Islands.
The northern sea otter (E.l.kenyoni) inhabits the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington.
The southern sea otter (E.l.nereis) is found along the central California coast.
What does the Sea otter look like?
A sea otter is a marine mammal that belongs to the weasel family.
It has a long, slender body covered with thick, brown fur that keeps it warm and dry in the cold ocean water.
It has four legs with webbed feet, a long tail that helps it swim, and a round head with small ears, eyes, and whiskers.
A sea otter can grow up to 65 inches (165 cm) long and weigh up to 90 pounds (41 kg).
Sea otters are often seen floating on their backs, holding food or rocks on their chests, or wrapping themselves in kelp to stay anchored.
They are the only otters that live entirely in the water and the only marine mammals that use tools to crack open their prey, such as clams, crabs, and sea urchins.
Sea otters are endangered animals that play an important role in maintaining the balance of the kelp forest ecosystems.