Why do sea otters use rocks?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Cracking open shellfish
Cracking open shellfish ✓ — Correct! Sea otters are one of the few tool-using animals! They dive for clams, sea urchins, and mussels, then float on their backs using their chest as an 'anvil.' They pound the shells against a rock until they crack open. Some otters have favorite rocks they keep in their armpit skin folds!
Anchoring themselves while sleeping — Wrong. Sea otters do wrap themselves in kelp to avoid drifting, but rocks are primarily tools for cracking shells, not anchors.
Playing games together — Wrong. While otters are playful, rock use is serious business—it's a learned hunting skill passed from mother to pup for accessing hard-shelled food.
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