Sea Otters Calmly Chew on Ice Cubes #shorts

#seaotters #shorts #kpassionate
The powerful jaws and robust teeth of a sea otter are specifically adapted to crush tough shells of crustaceans, which means their bite can be pretty strong. In fact, the bite force of a sea otter is estimated to be the same as that of a black bear! Even though sea otters are considerably smaller than bears.

The skulls, jaws, and teeth of a sea otter are highly specialized for crushing the hard exoskeletons of clams, mussels, and oysters. So while seeing sea otters crunch and chew on large ice cubes can look painful to us humans. The truth is their teeth are far stronger than ours. The dental enamel of a sea otter’s teeth is about 2.5 times stronger than humans! Their large, flat molars also have 6 roots instead of just two.

In the wild, the rough shells of clams and mussels help keep their teeth clean by scraping away plaque and debris. Unfortunately, it's not always possible to give the shells to sea otters under human care. That's one of the reasons we give ice treats to the sea otters! Chewing on ice simulates the hard shells. It helps keep their teeth clean! Plus, ice helps these otters stay cool during the warm summer months.

Both sea otters were rescued and rehabilitated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Clara was rescued at Moss Landing Harbor, California and deemed non-releasable by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service due to a history of unsafe interactions with people and pets. Libby was less than 24 hours old when she was found alone after becoming separated from her mother. Due to her very young age, and lack of survival skills, she was deemed non-releasable by the NOAA and the Department of Fish & Wildlife.

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