Southern Sea Otter

Southern Sea Otter
カリフォルニアラッコ
Character Data
AKA		Californian Sea Otter, California Sea Otter
Romaji		Kariforunia rakko
Debut		Kemono Friends (2015 Game)
Animal Data
Scientific Name		Enhydra lutris nereis
Distribution		North Pacific Ocean
Diet		Omnivore
Avg. Lifespan		15 - 20 years
Read More		Sea otter
Conservation

Southern Sea Otter

Festival

Pavilion

KF3

Nexon Game

Gallery

The Southern Sea Otter is a type of mammal Friend that debuted in the original Kemono Friends mobile game.

Appearance

Old Design

Old Southern Sea Otter design wears a black one-piece swimsuit with white parts, a light blue ribbon on her chest, and a white fluffy fur around her neck. She has a seashell hair accessory on top of her white hair. She also has a diamond-shaped pattern on her forehead.

Redesign

Redesigned Southern Sea Otter has minor design changes such as the white parts of her clothes disappearing and the pattern on her bangs becoming spade-shaped.

Series Appearances

Appearances In Kemono Friends Media

Media		Role
2015	Nexon Game	↪ Minor character, playable character
2018	Kemono Friends Pavilion	↪ Observable character
2018	Kemono Friends Festival	↪ Minor character, playable character
2019	Kemono Friends 3	↪ Minor character, playable character
2019	Kemono Friends 3: Planet Tours	↪ Playable character

In Real Life

A close-up of a sea otter, taken in Morro Bay, California. Photo by Marshal Hedin, 2016.

The Sea Otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. It inhabits nearshore environments, where it dives to the sea floor to forage. The preferred prey is marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, various mollusks and crustaceans, and some species of fish. Their use of tools in their eating habits, such as rocks, has made them one of the few mammals able to use tools. It is the heaviest member of the Mustelidae family, typically weighing between between 14 and 45 kg (30 and 100 lb). This makes them the largest mustelid but one of the smallest marine mammals.

Male sea otters usually weigh 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb) and are 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 11 in to 4 ft 11 in) in length, though specimens up to 54 kg (119 lb) have been recorded. Females are smaller, weighing 14 to 33 kg (31 to 73 lb) and measuring 1.0 to 1.4 m (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 7 in) in length.

Unlike other marine mammals, such as whales and seals, the Sea Otter does not have a layer of blubber and solely relies on its exceptionally thick fur to keep warm. The fur itself consists of long, waterproof guard hairs and short underfur; the guard hairs keep the dense underfur layer dry. Rather than having a specific molting season, the fur is gradually shed and replaced as needed. As the fur requires constant cleaning and grooming, the otters have very supple skeletons which make them extremely flexible. This allows them to groom as needed with little to no trouble. The overall coloring is usually deep brown with silver-gray speckles, and can range from yellowish or grayish brown to almost black.

A Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) in Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska showing off its thick coat.

The habitat range of the Sea Otter. Via the IUCN Redlist.

Sea Otters are diurnal. Their foraging period starts about an hour before sunrise, where they rest in the afternoon. They resume foraging a few hours before sunset and once more around midnight if needed. If a female has pups with her, she may be more inclined to hunt at night. Depending on the availability of food in the area, sea otters can spend anywhere between 24 to 60% of their day foraging. They can hold their breath for up to five minutes; dives typically last about a minute and no more than four.

In between eating and sleeping, sea otters can be seen grooming. Because their coats are so thick, they have to groom as often as they can. Grooming consists of cleaning the fur, untangling knots, removing loose fur (shedding), rubbing the fur to squeeze out water and introduce air, and blowing air bubbles into the fur for buoyancy. This behavior resembles scratching, though they are not known to have parasites in their fur.

As mentioned before, the preferred food consists of marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, various mollusks and crustaceans, and some species of fish. Specifics include abalones, crabs, clams, snails, scallops, limpets, and the occasional octopus. Contrary to popular depictions, Sea Otters rarely eat starfish. If they happen to eat any kelp, it passes through undigested.

Sea Otters are polygynous, with males having several female partners. Births occur year-round. Gestation varies from four to twelve months, since the species is capable of delayed implantation, in which case a pregnancy is about four months. A single pup is born in the water with eyes open and a full coat of baby fur. Mothers have been observed to lick and fluff a newborn for hours. Once the grooming is finished, the pup's fur retains so much air it floats like a cork and cannot dive. The fluffy baby fur is replaced by adult fur after about 13 weeks.

Much has been written about the level of devotion of sea otter mothers for their pups- the mother perform all tasks of feeding and raising offspring, and have occasionally been observed caring for orphaned pups. She will give the pup almost constant attention, cradling it on her chest away from the cold water and attentively grooming its fur. When the mother goes to forage, she will sometimes wrap the pup in kelp to keep it from floating away. In the event of a loss, mother otters have been observed carrying the body for days after the death.

Predators in the water include orcas and sea lions, whereas bald eagles will sometimes grab pups floating on the surface. In California, great white sharks are a known predator, but there is no evidence that the sharks actually eat them.

Trivia

• The Southern Sea Otter, as depicted in Kemono Friends, is native to central and southern California.
• The Sea Otter has the densest coat in the animal kingdom.
• The teeth and bones are sometimes stained purple as a result of eating sea urchins.
• Unlike other mustelids, the Sea Otter does not have a functional anal scent glad.
• It is considered a keystone species, helping to control the sea urchin population.
• A group of resting otters is called a raft.

References

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_otter
• The Wildlife Year. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. (1991). ISBN 0-276-42012-8
• "Sea Otters, Enhydra lutris". MarineBio.org. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
• Facts About Otters for Sea Otter Awareness Week
• Nickerson, P. "Sea Otter Frequently Asked Questions". Defenders of Wildlife. p. 65. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.