They might cover 40 body lengths in a second. To a six-foot person that's mph. This site tries to understand how it feels to move like a fly, a squirrel, a cat, a rhinocerous, or a falcon. Speed of Animals Sea Otter Enhydra lutris. While river otters have long, pointed tails, sea otters have short, flat tails.
Like other semi-aquatic animals, river otters are built to swim. They have short legs and webbed feet that help them swim faster, and their long, narrow bodies, flat heads and long, strong tails help them maneuver in the water, according to the National Wildlife Federation. They even have eyes and ears toward the top of their heads to aid them when swimming at the water's surface.
Their short, thick fur helps keep them warm while in cold water. River otters can stay underwater for as long as eight minutes at a time, and their ears and nostrils close when they are submerged. They have an extra eyelid, called a nictitating membrane, that protects their eyes and allows them to see underwater. We think of river otters as aquatic animals, but they actually spend most of their time on land, using the water mostly to hunt for food and travel through their home range, according to the Seattle Aquarium.
This is another difference between river otters and sea otters. Sea otters spend almost all of their time in water. Because river otters spend so much time out of water, they can get around pretty well on land too. They can even run at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour, according to the National Wildlife Federation. They also use slippery terrain, like muddy or snow-covered areas, to slip and slide across land more quickly.
River otters typically live alone or in pairs, but they often gather in social groups, and these groupings of otters are known for their playful nature, the Smithsonian zoo reports. In addition, young river otters, called pups, often remain with their mothers for a period of many months, during which play is a normal part of their development.
Beavers are burly animals, and weigh about twice as much as river otters. Their fur is clumpy when wet. Like muskrats, their bodies are usually at or slightly above water level when they swim. Harbor seals are seen in the ocean, bays and marshes. Harbor seals have very large heads and big dark eyes. They startle easily, and dive under water with an enormous splash if you surprise them while kayaking. Many thanks to the Sonoma County Water Agency for sharing with us!
Sea otters can move faster when they need to, whether they are hunting or escaping predators. Swimming underwater, sea otters can swim at speeds exceeding 5 mph. They do this by taking advantage of the shape and musculature of their bodies, which allows them to undulate up and down and aerodynamically cut through the water.
When the sea otter swims like this, he uses his webbed back feet like rudders that steer him through the water. Sea otters have big appetites. They spend much of their time foraging for food such as urchins under the water.
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