Some otters rely on tools to bust open hard-shelled prey items like snails, and a new study suggests this tool use is helping them to survive as their favorite, easier-to-eat foods disappear.
Audio will be available later today.Jessica FujiiA sea otter in Monterey Bay with a rock anvil on its belly and a scallop in its forepaws.In parts of the ocean where sea otters face stark competition for their favorite kinds of food, some otters are getting by with the help of tools — like rocks and even glass bottles — that let them bash open tougher prey that they wouldn't otherwise be able to eat.
But in places where lots of otters are living together in Monterey Bay,"unfortunately, all those prey items have been declining or have declined. So that means otters have to eat alternative foods," says Law."A lot of those alternative foods are those super-hard-shell prey items that really require some kind of external force to break into."
"We were interested in this tool use variation," says Law, so he and some colleagues analyzed data on 196 otters in California.These tagged otters get closely monitored by volunteer"otter spotters." That means researchers know what they're eating, how big and hard the prey is, and whether the otter used a tool to eat it.
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