Otters and Global Warming Effects
The issue of global warming is one that affects all people and all creatures. The Otter is one that continues to be bothered by it as well. The severity of the problem depends on the location. For example those that live in colder regions find that ice is melting and more types of aquatic life are moving into the area.
It can also be harder for them to keep their natural habitat. As the icy parts of the water melt, there becomes more of a mass of it. This means that their dens and other parts of the habitat that they relied on are now under water. They may have to push further and further back into the land areas to create those dens again. This can be stressful and they may find that they are now invading on the territory of other animals.
Otters are increasingly being consumed by sharks and killer whales too due to global warming. These animals find it harder to survive on their usual prey so they are going to take up the opportunity that they have to eat anything that will sustain them. Even though these types of animals can go for months without food, they aren’t going to pass up a meal when it is readily available to them.
The metabolism of an Otter is extremely fast and that is what allows them to stay warm in the colder waters. Global warming can be confusing to their bodies though which can mess with instincts such as the desire to mate. They also consume up to 25% of their body weight in food daily. However, due to global warming they may not have the same access to food supplies as they did before.
The additional heat can make it hard for the Otters to stay comfortable. They have very heavy coats on them that are to keep them warm. When they don’t need that additional protection though it can become dangerous for their bodies. They can get too hot and that could lead to serious health problems or death. The heat also allows bacteria and parasites to grow rapidly in the water. These are common elements that can lead to the death of large numbers of Otters.
The natural habitat of Otters can be destroyed due to global warming. Many of them live in areas where there are small swamps or lakes. They can dry up leaving these animals in a desperate search for a new place to live. Even with efforts by conservation groups to introduce them to new homes or to place them in captivity it is an ongoing problem.
At the same time more people are spending their time in the water to swim or on boats. They bring along bacteria, leave behind debris that they litter, and even scar the Otter so that they don’t spend time in the water looking for food. Humans spending more time in the waters that Otters use to feed and for relaxing tends to affect their overall wellbeing. They need to feed for many hours each day but often won’t engage in it if people are around.
The biggest problem is that global warming can’t be changed over night. It takes the ongoing effort of society as whole. The problem is already there so we need to take action so that the effects of it are less than in the past. Such efforts on a mass scale will help the Otters to survive. It will also help all animals and humans to maintain the balance that has allowed us to continue being on Earth for millions of years.
