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From: andrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba,sci.bio
Subject: Re: Other Sea Otters? (Re: Sea Otter Attacks (...))
Message-ID: <1647@cluster.cs.su.oz.au>
Date: 16 Dec 90 01:36:49 GMT
References: <174@garth.UUCP> <1541@cluster.cs.su.oz.au> <9@garth.UUCP> <1575@cluster.cs.su.oz.au> <15@garth.UUCP>
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Reply-To: andrewt@cluster.cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor)
Organization: Basser Dept of Computer Science, University of Sydney, Australia
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In article <15@garth.UUCP> phipps@garth.UUCP (Clay Phipps) writes:
>>> _Enhydra lutris_ is the only living species of SEA otter.
>> [I say] No, there is also Lutra felina, the Marine Otter or Chingungo 

> No--again. The crucial points determining whether an otter is a SEA otter 
> or not are anatomical, most noticeably the glorification of the hind feet 
> into flippers (not merely toes with webbing between them) that look as if 
> they were placed on the wrong feet (i.e.: the outermost toe is longest).
> An otter is not a SEA otter simply by virtue of hanging out in the SEA
> and eating SEAfood.

You'll have to forgive me, being Australian my grasp of english isn't so good. 
I thought by sea otter you meant an otter that lived in (not just visited)
the sea. I was I see now you meant an otter with outermost toe longest. 

Maybe in future you could confusion among the less knowledgable by claiming
instead that "Enhydra lutris is the only living species of otter with
outermost toe longest". Just the thing to start a conversation at a party.

> Give your river otters a few million years, and maybe they'll qualify as
> SEA otters.

I'm sure they are hoping their outmost toe will grow and they can be
real sea otters. Then maybe the penguins and sea lions will stop ridiculing
them - call yourself a sea otter with toes like that!

Andrew