Sea otter is the true marine animal that can spend its whole life in the ocean water without going on earth surface just for single time. It is famous for its fur that was once the cause behind rapid killing of this beautiful animal. Today, it is categorized in marine conservation. Here are some facts about sea otter.
1. Scientific Description
Sea otters belong to class mammalian. The family of sea otters is Mustelidae and genus Enhydra. The binomial name for sea otters is Enhydra lutris.
2. Species
There are three subspecies of sea otters that are named as E. l. lutris, E. l. nereis and E. l. kenyoni. The first specie is categorized as Asian sea otter. However, the second and third are also featured as southern and northern sea otters respectively.
3. Smallest Marine Mammal
Sea otter is ranked number one among all other marine mammals. However, when compare it with other family members of Mustelidae family, we found it heaviest one among all others.
4. Diet
Sea otters are carnivorous animals and their common diet is snails, mussels, sea urchins and even giant octopus.
5. Endangered Animal
Being having thickest fur among all other fur animals, sea otters remain mouth-watering animals for the hunters and traders since past three centuries. This thing became so much dangerous for sea otters that today, there are not more than 2000 sea otters all over the world. so sea otters are now a part of endangered animal list.