A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21652
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21660
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21661
A sea otter eats a clam that it has taken from the shallow sandy bottom of Elkhorn Slough. Because sea otters have such a high metabolic rate, they eat up to 30% of their body weight each day in the form of clams, mussels, urchins, crabs and abalone. Sea otters are the only known tool-using marine mammal, using a stone or old shell to open the shells of their prey as they float on their backs.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21662
A sea otter mother hold her pup on her stomach as she rests floating on her back. This pup, just a few days old, probably weighs between 3 and 5 pounds. The pup still has the fluffy fur it was born with, which traps so much fur the pup cannot dive and floats like a cork.
Species: Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Landing, California
Image ID: 21663
American badger. Badgers are found primarily in the great plains region of North America. Badgers prefer to live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures.
Species: American badger, Taxidea taxus
Image ID: 12044
American badger. Badgers are found primarily in the great plains region of North America. Badgers prefer to live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures.
Species: American badger, Taxidea taxus
Image ID: 12045
American badger. Badgers are found primarily in the great plains region of North America. Badgers prefer to live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures.
Species: American badger, Taxidea taxus
Image ID: 12046
American badger. Badgers are found primarily in the great plains region of North America. Badgers prefer to live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures.
Species: American badger, Taxidea taxus
Image ID: 12047
American badger. Badgers are found primarily in the great plains region of North America. Badgers prefer to live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures.
Species: American badger, Taxidea taxus
Image ID: 12048
American badger. Badgers are found primarily in the great plains region of North America. Badgers prefer to live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures.
Species: American badger, Taxidea taxus
Image ID: 12049
American badger. Badgers are found primarily in the great plains region of North America. Badgers prefer to live in dry, open grasslands, fields, and pastures.
Species: American badger, Taxidea taxus
Image ID: 12050