Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus:Enhydra
Species: Lutris
As can be seen from the picture, the Sea Otter, or Enhydra Lutris, is one of the most animated animals that someone can see. They are known for lying on their backs looking extremely relaxed. While lying on their backs, the sea otter will sleep or use this time to break into a shell fish to have a meal. These creatures will grow to about four feet in length and weigh upto 65 lbs. The lifespan for these funny and entertaining creatures is 23 years although the average lifespan is only 11 years. The female will generally give birth to one pup each year, but will occasionally have twins. In this event, the sea otter mother does not have the resources to care for both pups. Sadly, this creature is on the endangered species list. Originally, due to the hunting of the otters for the pelts, the otter was thought to be hunted into extinction, but in 1938, a raft was descovered with a few hundred otters. The sea otter still has a small population, but is making a comeback.
