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A new study finds that sea otters off California’s coast adapt by using tools to find new food sources and prevent injuries.
A team of volunteer “otter spotters” and researchers followed the patterns of nearly 200 southern sea otters off the coast of California to understand how the sea mammals are adapting to their changing environment. Their findings were published this week in the journal Science.
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It’s not unusual to see a sea otter floating on its back, eating their food, using something to break open the hard shells and access the nutrients inside.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that southern sea otters remain a threatened species. Otters gather in the sea weed in Morro Bay Harbor near to Morro Rock. A mother otter snuggles her pup. (Photo by Laura Dickinson/San Luis Obsipo Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
The study authors found that sea otters broaden their food sources when their preferred food, such as abalone, is unavailable. Abalone and sea urchins are easier to break open than mussels or small crabs. Still, otters can access the harder prey using tools to access different types of food and prevent tooth injuries.
The research team said that female otters are incredibly adaptable as they raise their young and meet their calorie needs. This likely won’t surprise multitasking moms of any species.
Other female wildlife species have been documented using tools more than their male counterparts, possibly for the same reason, according to the study.
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Observations showed female otters could consume foods 35% harder than male otters when using tools.
“Sea otters vary in how often they use tools,” said study author Chris Law, an early career provost fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. “The females are likely using tools to overcome their smaller body size and weaker biting ability in order to meet their calorie demands. Raising pups takes a lot of energy, and the females need to be efficient in their foraging. The study shows that tool use is an important behavior for survival.”
Southern sea otters are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and there are about 3,000 in California.
Researchers from UT Austin, the University of California, Santa Cruz, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the U.S. Geological Survey and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife contributed to the study.