Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Sea Otters and Polar Bears

Sea otters and polar bears are carnivorous marine mammals that still resemble their terrestrial ancestors. They are less adapted for an aquatic life and are solitary hunters. Polar bears are the largest terrestrial carnivore, and males and females briefly associate during courtship and mating. Outside of mating, the interaction of polar bears outside of mating occurs between a female and her offspring during the 2-3 year dependency period. This book provides new insight into the ethology and behavioral ecology of sea otters and polar bears and addresses historic and current anthropogenic challenges for their survival as climate change alters entire marine ecosystems.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 363 pages
Publication date: 05 July 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Sea otters and polar bears are carnivorous marine mammals that still bear a resemblance to their terrestrial ancestors. In comparison to Cetacea (whales and dolphins), Sirenia (dugongs and manatees), and Pinnipedia (seals, sea lions, and walrus), they are less well-adapted to an aquatic lifestyle and are the most recently evolved among marine mammals. Sea otters are amphibious but rarely venture onto land, and polar bears predominantly inhabit sea ice or along the shore. When at sea, both species spend the majority of their time swimming at the surface or engaging in short, shallow dives while foraging or pursuing prey. Indeed, polar bears rarely pursue seals in water. Nevertheless, polar bears are skilled swimmers and will stalk seals from the water. As with many other large carnivores, they are solitary hunters. Although sea otters are gregarious and form aggregations at sea known as rafts, they are primarily asocial. Except during mating, the primary interaction among sea otters occurs between a female and her offspring during the six-month dependency period. In large carnivores (e.g., wolves and lions) that feed on ungulates, sociality and cooperation are favored due to the need to capture large prey and defend carcasses. Polar bears, which are the largest terrestrial carnivore, are solitary hunters of seals and are neither gregarious nor social. Males and females briefly associate during courtship and mating. During this time, males aggressively compete for females. At other times, males generally avoid each other except for aggregations of males that form while summering on land, and females with cubs avoid males, which are known for infanticide. As with sea otters, the interaction of polar bears outside of mating occurs between a female and her offspring during the 2-3 year dependency period. This interaction is critical.

Weight: 581g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030667986
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021