 Mammals  Males weigh between 49 to 99 lbs and are 4 to 5 ft in length  Females weigh between 30 to 73 lb and are 3-4 ½ ft in length  Found along Pacific coastlines

 Sea otters tend to rest together in single- sex groups called rafts  A raft typically contains 10 to 100 animals (male rafts being larger than female ones)

 Sea urchins, abalone, mussels, clams, crabs, snails and about 40 other marine species  Have a very high metabolic rate  Sea otters eat approximately 25% of their weight in food each day  Can dive up to 330 feet when foraging for food  Use of rocks when hunting and feeding, which makes it one of the few mammal species to use tools

 Males have multiple female partners  Females mate once a year  Usually give single birth (twins rarely)  Mothers nurse and teach pups to forage

 Listed as Endangered  Historically hunted for their pelts  Considered a Keystone Species  Regulate sea urchin populations  In turn preserves kelp forests  Threats include:  Oil spills  Habitat loss  Disease  Fishing gear entrapment

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