By: Natasha Lehr
There are many cute and cuddly animals out there, but not many can upstage the sea otter. We all know that sea otters are pretty darn adorable, but here are a few fun things you may not know about them:
Photo source: http://www.seaotters.org
Sea otters sleep on their backs while floating in the water. To prevent drifting away, they often wrap themselves in kelp or hold hands while resting.
Photo source: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals
Sea otters are very social animals that can live in groups made up of hundreds of individuals. Rather fittingly, these groups of sea otters are called rafts.
Photo source: Wikipedia
They are one of the few animals that use tools! Sea otters use rocks to crack open shellfish and clams to eat. When they find a really good rock, they will keep it around by storing it in little bags under their arm.
Photo source: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
This may seem a little gross, but not when you learn they are meticulously clean. One reason for this is their lack of a blubber layer. Without this, they rely on their two fur layers to keep them warm.
Photo source: Wikipedia
Although they are capable of surviving on land, sea otters often spend their whole lives in the water. Which is quite impressive considering they can live up to 23 years!
So if you weren’t on board with these loveable animals before, welcome to the club!