Sea otters,Enhydra lutris, are members of the Mustelidae family. Sea otters are known for their playfulness and their use of tools to access the meat in crustaceans.
However, sea otters are also biologically unique. They are the largest and only marine members of the Mustelidae. They are also the smallest marine mammals. Their habitat is the coastal waters of the Pacific rim.
(http://www.seaotters.org/index.cfm)

Sea otter are the only marine mammals who do not posses blubber. Instead they have thick fur coats to aide in thermoregulation. However, their coats have also contributed to their coming close to extinction. Their pelts were highly desired by fur traders in the 1800's. In 1911, they became protected by the International Fur Seal Treaty. Their numbers have recovered, however, they are still endangered. The biggest threat to sea otters is oil spills. (http://www.seaotters.org/index.cfm)

This web site examines sea otter thermoregulation and its relationship to the effects of oil spills on sea otters.
This site's table of contents is below.

Thermoregulation
-Metabolic
-Fur
-Other physiological adaptations
-Behavioral adaptations

Oil Spills and Sea Otters

References

image courtesy of Jimmy Hu

This web site was created as a part of Biology 312- Animal Physiology at

college
by Molly Boehm
Email me! moboehm@davidson.edu