Species: Enhydra lutris kenyoni
Northern Sea Otter
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
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This article was originally published by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as part of its annual report Threatened and Endangered Wildlife in Washington.
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Family
Mustelidae
Genus
Enhydra
NatureServe
Classification
Informal Taxonomy
<p>Animals, Vertebrates - Mammals - Carnivores</p>
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae - Enhydra - do not (Cronin et al. 1996). The low level of divergence of sequences of haplotypes on mtDNA suggests that there are no major phylogenetic breaks or long-term barriers to gene flow among sea otter populations (Cronin et al. 1996).
Ecology and Life History
Short General Description
A marine mammal (sea otter), to about 1.5 m long.
Habitat Type Description
Marine
Migration
<p>true - true - false - Seasonal movements occur among some age-sex classes in certain areas (Riedman and Estes 1990). May make long distance movement up to 350 km over a relatively short period when translocated to new or vacant habitat, but breeding range in established populations range from 100 m to 1 km for males and approximately 8-16 km for sexually mature females (USFWS 2004).</p>
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
true
Food Comments
A generalist predator, known to consume more than 150 different prey species (Bodkin and Kenyon 2003). Diet varies according to location; often dominated by benthic invertebrates. Sea urchins, crabs, and a variety of molluscs are principal foods, but fish are important food items at high population densities (this is documented only for the Aleutian Islands in areas where the population was at equilibrium density). Forages usually at depths of less than 20 m. Uses rocks or other hard objects as tools to break exoskeletons of invertebrate prey. Diets and patterns of foraging behavior may be highly individualized (Riedman and Estes 1990).
Reproduction Comments
See files for <i>Enhydra lutris</i>.
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G4T2T3
Global Status Last Reviewed
2008-01-14
Global Status Last Changed
2008-01-14
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S2&US.AK=S3&US.OR=SH&US.WA=S2" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
FG - 20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles) - FG - This subspecies occurs in the Aleutian Islands, southern Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington; it was extirpated and later reintroduced in southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington; extirpated and unsuccessfully reintroduced in the Pribilof Islands and Oregon.
Global Range Code
FG
Global Range Description
20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)