Increased reproduction success, enhanced foraging and reduced predation risk are usually
regarded as major factors favouring the evolution of social behaviour. Here we formulate a …

Otter species are known to fluctuate intraspecifically from a solitary lifestyle to group-living
arrangements. By examining what is known about habitat use and foraging style in otters of …

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) foraging behavior and prey preference were studied from
June to August 2001–2004 in Simpson Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska. The study area …

The niche divergence hypothesis suggests that if a species exhibits intersexual differences
in diet, selection should favor divergence in the feeding apparatus between the sexes …

Conservation policies require the status of protected species to be monitored. The choice of
monitoring methods may be constrained in situations in which there is concern about …

Individual follows and instantaneous sampling were used to examine the behavior of adult
male sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in Simpson Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska, during the …

Weaning represents a major ontogenetic dietary shift in southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris
nereis), as juveniles must transition from depending on mother's milk to independently …

Sea otters are keystone predators whose recovery and expansion from historical
exploitation throughout their range can serve to enhance local biodiversity, promote …

Based on optimality models, lekking males holding higher quality territories should spend
more effort on territory maintenance and less effort on body maintenance. We tested the …

The transition from milk to solid food requires drastic changes in the morphology of the
feeding apparatus and its performance. As durophagous mammals, southern sea otters …