difference between sea otter and penguin

difference between sea otter and penguin

Travailleur Autonome Gestion michigan department of corrections directory; 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! When you click and buy we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Whether youre sailing the coast of the Pacific Northwest or hiking the riverbanks of West Virginia, you now have the tools to tell the difference between river otters and sea otters. Another interesting tidbit about penguins is that 15,000 years ago, they were actually able to tolerate a warming climate. Although seals and otters are often believed to be related, the truth is that they belong to completely different families. 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. This isnt where their social behavioral differences end, however. The largest otter, the river otter, only weighs about 100lbs when it reaches its full weight, and it grows about 6ft long. They are comparatively smaller in body size. Who will make it to the next round for a chance at a feature story? Their diets are reminiscent of their environments. 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. difference between sea otter and penguin. (Major seas are known as oceans.) Its as easy as that! This makes them very different animals, especially when you consider the fact that sea otters are the only members of their genus. But how do we tell the difference between river otters and sea otters? Lets take a look and some similarities, and differences, between these two amazingly fascinating animals! Sea otters have the densest fur in the entire animal kingdom with up to one million hairs covering each square inch of their body. Sea otters also have longer bodies than river otters. When it comes to having pups, one fact that distinguishes sea otters from river otters is the number of pups they have per litter. difference between sea otter and penguin. Adult males weigh average about 700 pounds and 7 feet in length while females are a bit smaller at 250 pounds and 6 feet in length. Shocking behavior isnt the sole province of marine mammals. Sea Otter: We mentioned last time that sea otters are threatened by toxic algal blooms, which are exacerbated by climate change. A final difference between a river otter vs sea otter lies in their social behaviors and mating habits. Southern sea otters are considered an endangered species, while Asian small-clawed otters are vulnerable. . Sea Otters have an average lifespan of 15-20 years but in captivity, some live over 25 years. Sea otters will be in the sea, river otters will be in the river. Dolphins kill other marine mammals and fish just for fun and commit infanticide. They consume around 10 lbs of food per day. First, sea otters are two to three times the size of river otters and, when at the water's surface, they float on their backs, while river otters swim belly down like most animals. There are over 70 different species of cetacean. They have short limbs with webbed feet. In contrast, sea otters actually have one layer of fur, which happens to be the densest fur of any other known animal. difference between sea otter and penguinhazbin hotel cherri bomb removed. Their slow, quiet and sudden way. They can grow up to 4 feet and weigh up to 70 pounds. 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. Both species face threats of pollution, habitat loss, and reduced food sources. Their gestation period lasts between 9 to 12 months. Enter your email and never miss an update. Sea otters arent only heftier than river otterstheir fur is also quite distinguishable. Darwin knew this well. unit 3: personal and business finance grade boundaries. Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Their swimming mechanisms are also a little different. Welcome back to March Sadness, ClimateProgress educational bracket tournament of animals impacted by climate change and other environmental threats. They have a body length of about 3 to 4 feet and weigh between 40 to 60 pounds. The marine otter simply lives near the ocean, diving in only to feed. subfamily. River otters tend to eat frogs, fish, crayfish, reptiles, and birds. Both otters have their own adorable way of caring for their young and making them feel at home, too. Asian small-clawed otters spend more of their time on land than in water, which helps keep a stable body temperature. Both are adapted to keeping themselves warm in the water. Males are larger compared to their female counterparts. Seals belong to Phocidae, and otters belong to the Mustelidae, so they are not even close to being related. The gestation period for otters lasts between 60 to 86 days while the gestation period for seals lasts between 9 months to 12 months. Rhinoceros Facts Lion Facts Elephant Facts Giraffe Facts Flamingo Facts Chimpanzee Facts Penguin Facts Panda Facts Python Facts Great White Shark Facts Tiger Facts Skunk Facts Seal Facts Sea Turtle Facts Porcupine Facts Panther Facts Ostrich Facts Komodo Dragon Facts Hippopotamus Facts . Seals are larger than otters, weighing a lot more than them and growing much longer. Their bodies and feet are also shaped very differently as well. But this should not be so. Considered a cousin of the weasel, otters are known for their elongated bodies, webbed feet, and playful antics, particularly their love of sliding down rocks, banks, or waterfalls. Otters have dense fur that keeps them warm while seals have blubber that is deposited under the skin that keeps them warm. If you travel further north to areas like the Alaskan seaboard, you could even find males weighing up to 100 pounds! 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.. 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. Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. They may look similar, but they are two different creatures. Im going to ruin sea otters for you. 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! Or at least Im going to tarnish their reputation as some of the most charming little beasties in the seas. . One of the main differences between a river otter vs sea otter is their species or genus classification. are about 33 species in this family. Young cattle egrets will peck and harass weaker siblings, going so far to push them out of the nest and to their doom. Terms & Conditions. Another difference between river otters and sea otters is their appearance. : They are huge eaters! We can find beauty and poetry in nature, but we can also find terror and savagery, all essential parts of the entire picture. The marine creatures also serve as fighters of climate change: their main preysea urchinslike to eat kelp, so by keeping the sea urchin population at a sustainable level, they keep kelp forests lush. Plus, visit our Arctic fox and see how his coat changes throughout the year. As their name suggests, sea otters live in the sea! Finally, river otters can dive to around 60 feet deep, whereas sea otters, remarkably, can dive to several hundred feet to forage for food. They include; walrus, eared seals, sea lions, fur seals, and earless seals. Otters mainly feed on invertebrates while seals mainly feed on fish. 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. Though they may look similar, there are distinct differences between the two. Seeing a dolphin at sea should be just as chilling as how many people feel when they see the sinuous silhouette of a shark. The pups learn their mothers voice to avoid confusion of the mother feeding another seals pups. What is natural is not inherently good or evil: It simply is, and wed be fools to take such examples as models of right or wrong. Together, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. SeaQuest Blog If they cant keep them on their stomachs for some reason like if they are hunting, scientists have witnessed sea otters wrapping their young in kelp to keep them afloat while the mothers seek food. Sure, dolphins may now and then help fishermen looking to snag fish, but dolphins intelligence and social complexity have endowed them with a suite of behaviors that make them seem less adorable than their carefully-groomed theme park images suggest. In other species, post-hatching battles begin almost immediately. Sea otters also notably have two very large back feet, webbed and streamlined for paddling and swift swimming in unpredictable ocean waters. 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. 8 Fun Date Night Ideas in Salt Lake City. : Most all seal species are carnivorous. With 13 species around the world, you can find an otter species located on almost every continent! Answers: These three are all sea otters (credit: Deanna Lynch/USFWS) while the first and last photos in this blog are river otters (credit: Barry Troutman). The elephant seal can weigh up to 6,000lbs and grows 20ft long. Animals Differences and Comparison for Kids. Less like Flipper and more like the megalomaniacal King Snorky of The Simpsons, a dolphin has a permanent smile that gives off a decidedly creepy vibe. Although seals and otters are often believed to be related, the truth is that they belong to completely different . The largest of the seal species, the southern elephant seal can grow up to almost 8,000 pounds and 20 feet long for adult males, while adult females are a bit smaller at 2000 pounds and 10 feet in length. 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. Another significant difference is the number of offspring these creatures have. Sea otters are larger Please try again 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. Their unique bodies make it easy to tell the creatures apart. Their gestation period is between 60 to 86 days. Giant Otters are the largest otter species and are very similar to large river otters. The sea otters legs arent made for walking, like river otters are, but for constant swimming. But the general idea is the same: if the otter isnt floating in the ocean, its most likely a river otter, and vice versa! 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. Nevertheless, seals tend to be much larger than otters. In addition to this, once you know the fundamentals of what to look for, its quite easy to differentiate whether or not an otter is a sea otter or a river otter one is large and fluffy and the other is small and streamlined. The key differences between seals and otters are size, family, and their method of thermoregulation. On average, seals are larger than otters. Seals and otters are easy to tell apart if you know where to look. 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. You may already have an idea as to what makes river otters and sea otters look so different from one another. However, sea otters are only found in salt water and very rarely make their way onto land. Otter belongs to the Mustelidae family while the seal belongs to the Phocidae family. The Northern sea otter and the Southern sea otter, but in actuality, this is the one and only species of otter that is a lifelong ocean-dweller. Without a doubt, dolphins are jerks. Daily activities focus on feeding and grooming, interspersed with rest periods. This inner layer keeps them warm, and the outer layer keeps them waterproof. For example, sea otters are much larger than river otters in both length and weight. In addition, severe weather can make it difficult for sea otters to forage for and find food. This makes them very different animals, especially when you consider the fact that sea otters are the only members of their genus. Later researchers rediscovered what Levick had seen. Thank you for visiting! It is a grave mistake to see the so-called "depravity" of penguins, dolphins, and otters in the same way as our own behavior.

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