Sea Otters and Their Drinking Behavior (They Have Big, Specialized Kidneys!) (2023)

You may be wondering if an aquatic animal ever gets thirsty. Since we are surrounded by vast, open bodies of water, it must be easy for marine mammals to drink water, right?

However, we must remember that the oceans and seas inhabited by mammals such as the sea otter are made of themsalt water. Consuming too much salt is harmful to humansincreaseThis can lower your blood pressure and even prompt you to see your GP.

How does the sea otter adapt to the marine environment? What do you drink when you feel thirsty? Do you drink other fluids besides water? So sit back and sip your favorite drink while we answer these questions and raise a toast to the amazing sea otters.

Do sea otters drink seawater?

Isea ​​otters drink itsalt waterin oceans and seas, like this fluffy one:

Marine mammals can draw salt water from itvictimconsume or candrink straightwater from the ocean.

Seals, sea lions and manatees sometimes drink salt water. Still, they seek out fresh water and even snow to quench their thirst if available.

But unlike these sea creatures, sea ottersregularlydrink sea water.

How can sea otters drink salt water?

Sea otters can therefore drink salt waterlarge, highly specialized kidneys.

Like most mammals, they have a pairmultilobuliertkidneys. These organs look"Packages of Grapes". Each "grape" or each petal containsNephronThese are the functional units of the kidneys.

Kidneysto removeWaste and extra fluid that the mammalian body does not need. Marine mammals such as sea otters can use their kidneysExtractfresh water from the salt water they drink. This makes their bodies staymoisturizedand functionalAlsoalthough they live in a salty ocean.

Sea otters have the largest kidneys of any marine mammal

Looks like she has big kidneysrequirementenabling mammals to live in the marine environment.

If we compare the kidneys of sea otters with their kidneysBody weight up to 100 pounds, they have itthe biggestKidneys in marine mammals!

In particular, they include the kidneys of the sea otter2,01%their body weight.

In contrast, the kidneys of dolphins and whales (cetaceans) are only visible0,44 do 1,1%their bodies.

Also the kidneys of their closest relatives,Flux letterweigh less than half their own weight0,85%. This suggests that sea otter kidneys adapted to those of their ancestorsfresh watercomplete environmentMarinethe one they have today.

We can consider sea otters as suchfully aquatic marine mammalsalone with these numbers!

Sea otters have kidneys that can tolerate high salt intake

Sea otters can get rid of excess salt from their body by excreting themmaximumconcentrated urine through the kidneys. They can even eliminate salt concentrationabovenormal sea water level!

elimination orurinary tractregulates the management of body fluids throughKidneys. It removes excess fluids, salts and nitrogen wastes such as urea from the bodyblood. These wastes are removed from the bodyUrine.

Here's a video of how the kidneys work, but in this case in humans:

UnusuallyAmounts of sodium or salt in the body can cause dysfunction of internal organs and an imbalance of body fluids. Most mammals can only absorb a limited amount of sodium before they developProblemexcrete salt from the body.

Sea otters tolerate saltmuch betterthan most marine mammals. They can even exude moderately to very saltyUrineThis keeps your kidneys healthy and working amazingly.

This marine adaptation also allows sea otters to drink sea water andnot losefresh water. Before the kidneys produce urine, they produceFilterIabsorbessential body fluids back into the body. In this case:Waterreturns to the bloodstream and excess salt is excretedWaste.

Therefore, sea otters can cope with consuming high concentrations of salt in seawater. IfPeopleIf they did, they would go fastdehydratedby the enormous accumulation of salt.

Do sea otters seek fresh water to drink?

I, SeeotterAre you looking forfresh drinking water!

In fact, keepers and trainers have seen rescued and captive sea otters drink from itunusuallySources at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Occasionally, they observed sea otters trying to quench their thirst with water seeping through a body of watergarden hose.

On other occasions, some otters have even tried to lick the aquariums clean with fresh water that washed the large display windowsSprinkler!

Would it be a good idea to skip fresh water for sea otters?

At Floofmania, we think sogood ideaFresh water retention for sea otters.

Since, as mentioned above, they are already looking for fresh water, so it will befeastfor them if you give them water to eat.

Scientists at the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo actually did in the mid-1990s. They offered...heartfresh water per day for three sea otters caught.

The otters seemed content to drink the water because they didpayor burping when her stomach is full!

Alternatively, they wouldSnowballsto sea otters. Scientists watched ottersHold snowballs in your pawsso they do not slip while chewing. It has been reported that each sea otter can eat two baseball-sized snowballs at once!

Perhaps another group of sea otters here will give us a glimpse of how sea otters like to eat snowballs. Some even succeedmaking snowballs yourself!

The sea otter obtains its hydration mainly from the prey it eats

Although most scientists claim that sea otters get their much-needed water from the prey they eat,Mrs. Daniela Costathinks differently. Harbor seals, dolphins, sea lions, fur seals and porpoises can occasionally swallow salt water when feeding, he says, but sea otters in particularNO.

If you think about it, these marine mammals mainly eat their prey right under the water. On the other hand, sea otters are also known to bring their prey back to the surfacethey consume and break the hard shells on their "abdominal tables".

A high-salinity invertebrate diet makes sea otters thirstier!

Sea otters need to do thisthey eat a quarter of their weightIn one day. That's why they like to eatsalty and rich in proteinSea urchins, crabs and abalones. This may even be the case with some crustaceans and molluscssimilarsalinity compared to seawater.

But as mentioned earlier, sea otters can consume seawatermuch saltierlike the ocean. So you won't have much trouble consuming these food sources.

As fast asSea otters eat their preyand their blood is filtered through the kidneys, as we might expectfestivalA lotSunas well as nitrogen waste (Harnstoff).

Harnstoffit is the end product of the digestion and breakdown of proteins (meat and shellfish, to name a few). Fortunately, this nitrogen waste is permanenta few sips of waterexcreted from the body in the form of urine.

Because it's sea otter urinemaximumfocused, they willmainlyexcrete only urea and some water. Your body has to do itrescueas much fresh water as possible, filtered from salt water, remainsmoisturized.

Although sea otters can do it tooSomeThey still need their victim's juice fluidsmoreWater to speed up this process and meet your daily metabolic needs.

They are actually sea ottersonly marine mammalsTheactivedrink sea water. And they do it to eliminate ithigh urea nitrogen loadin their urine. MoreWaterthe more they consume, the moreHarnstoffis excreted in the urine.

Do sea otters drink liquids other than water?

IYoung and newborn puppies feed on the food of their mothers.cash. But in another scenario, some young sea otters in the aquarium may have been too thirsty to drink their own waterUrine!

Sea otter pups need their mother's milk

A sea otter cub eats itmother's milkfrom birth to about 6-8 months of age.

Puppy sucks his mom's nipples while lying tummy on mom's tummy. TheSea otter mother's milkincludes20 to 25% fat, an important source of energy for your growing sea otter pup!

Baby sea otters sometimes drink their urine!

Interestingly, a fewyouthfulSea otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium sipped their drinkUrinefor several cases.

This was noticed by the aquarium staff and recordedquite unusualBehave. The aquarium also provided no explanations or theories about the behavior. Maybe sea ottersI was just too thirstyand I found no other alternative to water at that time.

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Author:Gra

Hi! My name is Graciola Galo, but my friends call me Gra - You can too! In addition to being a dog lover, my bachelor's degree in biology has helped me develop a deep appreciation for animals. I look forward to learning more about all kinds of wildlife in each and every article I write for Floofmania, and I want to convey the same admiration and delight to you too!