How sea otters stay warm pOx

They eat, sleep, mate and give birth in water, but how do they fight the chill?
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It is a universally accepted truth that sea otters areadorable. But did you know
thewettest of weasels are extremely hardylittle critters too? They live among t
he
kelp forests that grow off the west coast ofNorth America, Alaska and Russia Vwhe
re the water temperature can be aslow as one degree Celsius (33.8 degreesFahrenh
eit) V and almost never comeashore. Heat loss in water is 27 times
faster than in air of the same
temperature, meaning sea otters face a
constant battle to maintain their core
body temperature and stay alive.
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Unlike other marine mammals, otters
dont have a layer of insulating blubber to
keep them warm in chilly waters.
Unlike other marine mammals, otters
dont have a layer of insulating blubber to
keep them warm in chilly waters.
Instead, they rely entirely on their velvety
fur. At up to a million hairs per square
inch (for comparison, you probably have
as many hairs on your entire head), it is
offi cially the densest fur in the world.
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Sea otters coats are composed of two layers: long waterproof guard hairs and a flu
ffy underlayer. The guard hairs form a
waterproof barrier and are kept oiled
with sebaceous secretions from glands in
the otters skin. Bundled around each
guard hair are ten to 100 underhairs.
These hairs are covered in microscopic
barbs that enable the hairs to tangle
together and trap a layer of insulating air
next to the otters skin, providing four
times the amount of insulation as the
same amount of blubber.
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