O is for OTTER
By Doug
Sea otters live in the water most of the time. They sometimes go on
land to rest, get food or to play. They live in the water off the
coast of California, Alaska and the Kuril Islands. Otters spend
most of the day in a bed of kelp. They don't live alone. They
live in groups called rafts. They eat crabs, crayfish, fish,
clams and sea urchins. Sea otters are about 4 feet long and weigh
35 to 70 pounds. Their babies are called pups. A mother only
raises one pup at a time. An old male otter's fur can be white,
while most sea otters have brownish black fur. An otter's fur looks
darker when it is wet. Otters fur is the thickest fur of any animal.
They rub air bubbles into their fur to help stay warm. An otter
has a lot of long whiskers. Their whiskers help them feel around
in muddy water. When they swim and their tails help them steer.
Their enemies are mainly humans. They are hunted for their thick,
soft fur.
My Beanie Baby is a Sea otter named Seaweed.
She was born March 19, 1997. She has a piece of seaweed in her paws.
