The Southern sea otters of the Oregon Zoo were given a yummy winter treat of oysters that they adorably shucked by banging the shells against the rocks of their habitat pool. Once the mollusk was sufficiently cracked, the otters used their sharp teeth to pull the opposing sides apart to get at the succulent meat inside.
According to the zoo, these otters subsist on a lot of oysters and other seafood in the wild due to their quick metabolism.
Aw shucks! It’s oyster time for the sea otters. Southern sea otters eat a large variety of foods, including sea urchins, abalone, crabs, clams and squid. Because their metabolism is 2-3 times the rate of other mammals their size, they need to eat about 25% of their body weight every day. Bottoms up!
They’ve also been known to enjoy a veggie or two.
