• Interesting Facts about Amphibians (3)
• Interesting Facts about Birds (22)
• Interesting Facts about Fishes (9)
• Interesting Facts about Mammals (48)
• Interesting Facts about Reptiles (16)

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Sea Otters

DESCRIPTION: In appearance, sea otters are stouterand have larger ribcages, smaller tails and blunter muzzles than other speciesof otters. Yet, sea otters do possess the fine, dense fur coats characteristicof the Mustelidae. Their forefeet are small and dexterous with retractile clawsand the flipper-like hind feet are broad and webbed. Juvenile sea otters tendto be a uniform dark-cinnamon brown while adults develop lighter gray or buffcoloration on their heads.In general, mature male sea otters tend to beslightly larger than females of their respective subspecies. SIZE: Alaskan sea otters are slightly larger than California sea otters. Male Alaskan sea otters reach lengths up to 148 cm and male California sea ottersaverage 122 cm. Female Alaskan sea otters measure up to 140 cm in length FUN FACTS: The sea otter's dark brown fur is thefinest and densest of any animal fur. On an adult animal, there are anestimated 650,000 hairs per square inch. A sea otter relies on its fur to keepwarm-it doesn't have an insulating layer of blubber as other marine mammals do.Natural oils in a sea otter's fur repel water and trap tiny air bubbles,providing a layer of warm air between the otter's skin and the harsh elementsof its environment. Sea otters may spend as much as 48% of the daylight hoursgrooming their fur. Sea otters sleep, rest, and usuallyswim by paddling with their hindflippers on their backs. Californiasea otters spend almost all of their time in the water, while Alaska sea otters often sleep, groom, andnurse their young on land. Tooluse is an unusual behavioral trait seen only in sea otters and a few othertypes of animals. An otter may remove an abalone by repeatedly hitting it witha rock. It also may use a flat rock to break open the shells of crustaceans andmollusks. While holding the rock on its chest, the otter pounds the animal onthe rock until it breaks or opens.

Sperm Wwhale

DESCRIPTION:  The sperm whale is a large,dark-colored, toothed whale with a massive, square-shaped head that can make upmore than a third of its body length. It has a single blowhole that is set onthe forehead and to the left, which produces a distinctive, angled blow. SIZE: Maximum size approaches 20 m; males growsubstantially larger than females.Male - 15.2m,Female - 10.7 m WEIGHT: Male -, 39,500 kg, Female - 12,200 kg FUN FACTS: Sperm whales posess the mostasymetrical skull of any mammal. Sperm whales have the largest brain ofany living animal - weighing up to 4.2 kg Sperm whales have been sonar tracked indives exceeding 2,250 m(1.4 miles).Analysis of stomach contents indicates that sperm whales are capable of divingbeyond 3,000 m. The longest recorded dive for a spermwhale was in excess of two hours. Spermwhales receive their common name for the massive spermaceti organ located inthe forehead region. This organ can hold up to 1,900 liters of wax-like oil.Opinions differ as to the purpose of the spermaceti. Some scientists believethat variations in oil density may assist the sperm whale in adjusting itsbouyancy during dives. Other scientists believe that the oil is used as anaccoustic aid in the process of echolocation.

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