I don't think any human culture eats starfish, which is really just as well. Weknowtheanswer. The existence of sea otter is helping the ecosystem to be balance. These shellfish are themselves eaten by other creatures. A high number population of sea urchin can be reduce and reach its normal number of population because sea otter feeds on it. Scientists have long designated the california sea otter a “keystone predator,” meaning what the animal eats has a large impact on its environment. Tweet. It also uses a flat rock to break open the shells of crustaceans and mollusks. What eats the sea otter? Hunting per se itself is … Its greatest enemies are sea lions, killer whales, great white sharks, bears, and coyotes. 16604 #3 WIN $10,000.00 IN PRIZES; 16604 WIN #3 $10,000.00 IN … Who eats the sea otters? Young predators may kill an otter and not eat it. In the kelp forest, it eats sea urchins and other animals that graze on giant kelp. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. How else do otters keep safe? The otter is much smaller than the sea lions and seals so the killer whales must eat more to get the same nourishment. River otters are smaller than their cousins, the sea otters. 1 Questions & Answers Place. The sea otter. Sea otters were hunted extensively in the past for their luxurious fur, leading to a dramatic decline in their population and a need for protection. Sea otters in the United States received additional protections with the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s. Find answers now! Predators of sea otters include orcas and sea lions; bald eagles also prey on pups by snatching them from the water surface. Pups . How to solve: What eats sea otters? Ollie the orphaned four-month-old sea otter eats clam meat at the Aquarium of the Pacific January 19, 2011. Why do otters sleep in kelp? Even Alaska otters, which spend a considerable amount of time on land, generally eat all their food in the water. A sea otter does not get energy directly from the sun the it gets energy from the plants it eats which obtain energy from the sun, so it depends on how you look at it. Asked by Wiki User. What animal eats the sea otter? California’s southern sea otter has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. Ongoing studies in Alaska recently revealed that orcas (killer whales) are eating more and more sea otters in that region, possibly because the usual prey (seals and sea lions) are in decline. Save 84% off the newsstand price! 2012-03-06 21:31:44 2012-03-06 21:31:44. 5. Great white sharks are the primary predator in California. For instance, in the Pacific Ocean off the West Coast of the United States, sea otters eat a lot of abalone. Sea otters use belly as dinner table . Photo by U.S. A sea otter may remove an abalone by repeatedly hitting it with a rock. Sea lions are a problem in some areas as well. A sea otter eats in the water, lying on its back, with its food on its chest. Their toes are webbed, they have short legs and they boast a tapered tail ranging up to 15 inches long. Fortunately another species eats the sea urchins, stopping them from destroying the forest completely. What animal eats the sea otter? 41 years later and counting, their conservation status remains unchanged and their future uncertain. Sea Otter Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan . Orcas Sharks . Sea Otters typically eat amphibians, smaller fish, mollusks, mussels, snails, and smaller underwater creatures. Where does a sea otter find this much food, and what do they eat? 5 6 7. While sea otters were unaffected by wasting disease and continued to eat large urchins, the populations of medium-sized urchins exploded by over 300% and … Because of its smart brain, sea otter uses its hand and take a rock to dislodge the invertebrate animal from its shell before the sea otter eats it. Learn what a sea otter looks like, where it lives, what it eats, what eats it, how babies are born, and other fun facts. The sound of screams from its fellow monkeys in the enclosure fills the air as they desperately try to rescue their fallen friend. The sea otter must consume between 25 and 40 percent of its body weight daily, just to keep warm. On land, young sea otters may face attack from bears and coyotes. Otter populations are affected by the density of prey they hunt. (5 to 7.3 kg) of food every day. But apparently the two creatures don’t get along. What eats sea otters? River otters possess long, muscular bodies suited to their life on both land and in water. Baby otters, called pups or kittens, stay with their mothers until they’re up to a year old, or until she has another litter. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images. No. Also, I should take a step back and say we’re not talking about Great Whites or Mako Sharks here, the dead sharks who were washing up with organs missing are Shysharks, a species of catshark, which usually measures around 23 inches long. Other than primates, what animal uses tools? While most of their activity takes place in the water, these pests can be a nuisance to homeowners who live near rivers. The predators that Otters will encounter depend on where they happen to live. Anything that is small and has a shell is fair game. This means that they eat both animals and plants. Finding a suitable prey, the sea otter does not eat it at once, but collects the skins from the fold of the fold, placed under the left and right paw. omnivores. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. [50] In California, bites from sharks, particularly great white sharks, have been estimated to cause 10% of sea otter deaths and are one of the reasons the population has not expanded further north. recent questions recent answers. That’s like an 80-pound kid eating 80 quarter-pound hamburgers daily. What animal eats the sea otter? Listed as a threatened species, southern sea otters are still vulnerable, especially to the risk of oil spills. SUBSCRIBE for your daily dose of amazing videos! Sea otters are foragers that eat mostly hard-shelled invertebrates, including sea urchins and a variety of clams, mussels, and crabs. A keystone species . Eagles . Additionally, what eats sea otters answer? Wiki User Answered . Their prey is searched for by sea otters, diving to depth, emerging every 30-40 seconds to swallow air. 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