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Southern Sea Otters are the southern subspecies of the Sea Otter native to the west coast of the United States and Mexico. They're around 1.2 meters long and weigh 25 kilograms on average. They have dark brown fur with a lighter coloured head and throat. Because they spend the vast majority of their life in the water, they're classified as marine mammals, just like whales, dolphins, polar bears and sea lions.
The Southern Sea Otter is a vital part of the kelp forest, its natural habitat. They eat crabs, urchins, snails and other invertebrates that would otherwise eat all the kelp. Sea Otter populations highly depend on the density of available prey, as they need to consume about a quarter of their own weight every day. Kelp forests play an important part on our planet as they prevent coastal erosion, fight climate change and provide shelter and hiding spots for fish and the various invertebrates. Unlike many other predators, they use their paws to catch prey and they use rocks to crack open the shells of crabs and clams.
Southern Sea Otters may give birth to a single pup year-round but peaks are observed in winter and spring. The pups are provided for by their mother only and weaned at half a year of age. While the mother hunts, the pup is left to float on the waters surface by itself until she picks it back up again.
Instead of fat or blubber, Southern Sea Otters depend on their incredibly thick fur for insulation. They spend a lot of time grooming to keep it clean and coated with natural oils and adds insulating air bubbles. This makes them especially vulnerable to oil spills destroying their furs insulating properties. Their fur was highly sought after during the fur trade which caused a massive decline in their population until an international agreement prohibited hunting fur seals and sea otters in 1911. Extensive recovery programs have been put into place to protect the species and recover kelp forests.